(Common Errors(Subject

Dr. Kumar Gautam Anand

Examples: The state of his affairs was such as to cause anxiety to his creditors. Was: qualifies the subject ‘state’ not the word ‘affair’  The bundle of books is very heavy.  The call of the seas has always found an echo in me.

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He and I are playing.

Note: If the nouns suggest one idea to the mind or refer to the same person or thing, the verb is singular. Examples: Time and tide waits for none. The novelist and poet is dead. Bread and butter is his only food.

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Words joined to a singular subject by with, as well as, etc. are considered parenthetical. The verb should be therefore, in the singular.

Examples: The house, with its contents, was insured. Justice, as well as mercy, allows it. The mayor, with his counselors, is to be present.

Two or more singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb. Examples: No nook or corner was left unexplored. Note: When one of the subjects is plural the verb is plural and the plural subject is to be placed near to the verb. Examples:  The captain(S) or his teammates(P) are responsible for the defeat. 

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When the subjects joined by or or nor are of different persons the verb agrees with the nearer subject:

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Examples:

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Either he

 

or I am mistaken. Neither you nor he is mistaken. Neither my friend nor I am to blame.

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Example:

Each of these books is mine.  Many a man has succumbed to his 

temptation.

Neither of them is expert in the subject.  Many a student has joined the national serve 

Scheme to serve the local community.

Every boy and every girl was given a packet of sweets. No boy and no girl was present there. Every Tom, Dick and Harry wears suit these days.

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This news is true. Politics is the last refuge of scoundrels.

Great pains have been taken. Great is telling the number or quantity hence plural verb is used.  Much pains has been taken. Much is showing an amount. Even if pains is much or less, amount is single hence singular verb. Means in the sense of income always takes a plural verb.  My means are meager, I cannot afford this luxury. 

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The God of Small Things is a good book. Joys of Happiness is a good book.

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Ten kilometers is a long walk. Three parts of the cake is left for us.

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Not only the officer but also six soldiers were

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Not only the team mates but also the captain

killed.

was blamed for the defeat.

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None of milk(uncountable noun) was left.

None +of+ plural

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noun/pronoun/singular/noun(referring to a group) takes singular verb or plural verb as per the context. None of the books were read. But in formal English we use singular verb.

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A rise in rents and wages has been found to

go together is incorrect. When the word(A rise in) is repeated before each subject and make the verb plural  A rise in rents and a rise in wages have been found to go together.