Similar Posts:

• X – factor – 6
• Get a Sentence for a word or phrase: Word Usage
• FREE GMAT Verbal Guide (Sentence Correction)
• Subject Verb Agreement:
• English Grammar Secrets Revealed

Main Proposal: Let plural subjects take plural verbs and singular subjects roam about with singular verbs.

Proposal 1:- When two or more nouns are present, ask the verb to agree with its proper subject instead of the noun near it.

The quality of language in British books is outstanding.

All the books on the rack are the law books.

Proposal 2:- Some nouns are plural by nature and like to be with plural verbs. Following are the names of these famous nouns-

Savings, thanks, surroundings, riches, goods, outskirts, belongings, particulars, premises, clothes, earnings, congratulations, people, police and staff.

Proposal 3:- When the verb is holding hands with two or more subjects and wearing either…or or neither…nor, use a singular verb if the last subject is singular and a plural verb if the last subject is plural.

Neither Levin nor Kitty wants to live in a city.

Either John Galt or his representatives are to stop the motor of the world.

Either nurses or the doctor is responsible for the wrong operation.

Proposal 4:- When two bachelor (singular) subjects are joined by spinster ‘and’, they form a pair (plural)

Dolly and Doll were t he first one to arrive.

Bob and Roger are playing a guitar.

Proposal 5:- Listen to what nouns suggest, if they suggest one idea to the mind, or refer to same person or thing, then the verb would rather stay single.

Bread and butter is kept in the refrigerator.

Time and tide waits for none.

Proposal 6:- Be cautious with the following-

Everyone, no one, anybody, somebody, everything, each and every, each of, neither of, the majority of, all of, some of and uncountable nouns.

All of food is stolen.

Knock! Knock! Is anybody there?

Proposal 7:- Economics, civics, statistics, news, mathematics, wages, linguistics, phonetics, politics etc are plural in form but singular in meaning and take a singular verb.

Mathematics is TG’s passion.

Politics is the major part of the corporate world.

Subject Verb Agreement contd….PART 2;

Proposal 8:- When there is a group of nouns (Collective nouns), a singular verb should be brought into action. When the individuals of this group are addressed, we would like to use plural verbs.

The crowd is maddening.

The population of Japan is on its life time low this year.

Proposal 9:- When noun denotes some specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, we should agree on a singular verb.

One-fourth of the work is completed by William.

The five thousand yen that he gave me was spent in a single day.

Proposal 10:- There are outsiders (words and phrases) besides ‘and’ that attach themselves to the subject and make it look plural but the subject still stays the same. These are the famous intruders -as well as, accompanied by, including, along with, in addition to and together with. So verbs, be careful!

Leonidas, along with his 300 Spartans, is going to fight against the Persian army.

Books, as well as music, are my passion.

Proposal 11:- When the subject is commanding, ordering, or suggesting — ‘you’, the person being directed by the subject has to disappear. (Subject expects itself to be understood)

(You) Listen to the sound of the music!

(You) Suggest a plan for the month.

Proposal 12:- Both subject and verb give special preference to ‘None’. None can be treated as both singular and plural until someone else in the crowd doesn’t recognize its number.

None of the men are ready for the war,

None of the men is ready for the war.

None of the dancers have given their best. (Here you can’t use singular because the word ‘their’ precludes the use of the singular verb.)

Proposal 13:- Sometimes nouns are playing tricks with you. They can beguile you into thinking they are plural when they are not. Nouns such as pants, pliers, glasses and scissors are regarded as plural (and prefer being with plural verbs) unless they’re preceded by the phrase pair of, so be careful!

The scissors are lying on the table.

A pair of scissors is lying on the table.

Proposal 14:- If the sentence is giving both positive and negative vibes, the verb will respond only to the subject giving positive vibes..

It is not Carol but her sisters who are married.

It was the subject of the movie, not the actors, that has charmed the audience.

Proposal 15:

Note: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

Proposal 16:

Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

Sources: Pagalguy, Total Gadha, some online portals (don’t remember), some books (don’t remember the names)

Similar Posts:

• Good Vs Well
• WHO/WHOM Dilemma
• Word Usage which helps in Sentence Correction
• Difference between Affect and Effect
• Usage: Sensual vs Sensuous

Similar Posts:

• Square formed by joining Mid Points
• Quick Quant Pocket Guide – Free
• Crash Course in Quant
• Geometry Notes by 100 percentiler
• Vedic Math for Quant CAT 2008

Click the image

I have found a list of confusing words which make us confuse while solving the verbal questions. List is in two parts. All words in the list looks similar but in meaning they are far dissimilar. Their dictionary meanings are not given but they are used in sentence according to their dictionary meanings. You have to use dictionary to see the meaning of words. Click the image to go to the site.

Note: CAT has last time played with similar kind of confusing words. for e.g, a question of CAT 2007

51. The cricket council that was[A]/were[B] elected last March is[A]/are[B] at sixes and sevens over new rules.
The critics censored[A]/censured[B] the new movie because of its social inaccessibility. Amit’s explanation for missing the meeting was credulous[A]/credible[B]. She coughed discreetly[A]/discretely[B] to announce her presence.
1) BBAAA
2) AAABA
3) BBBBA
4) AABBA
5) BBBAA

Thanks Grammar.cccSimilar Posts:

• CENSOR/CENSURE/SENSOR/CENSER
• Dual/Duel- They are different
• Difference between “Flammable” and “Inflammable”
• Usage: Sensual vs Sensuous
• Common Errors in English Usage

50 Keys to CAT

Today I found a collection of 50 important formulae for Quantitative Ability Section of CAT – Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Modern Mathematics. These are very good for quick revision. You should take their print outs or save it on your PC. Just click the image to open the file.

Thanks: TestFunda.com

Similar Posts:

• Quick Quant Pocket Guide – Free
• FREE GMAT Verbal Guide (Sentence Correction)
• MAH-CET Mock Paper
• Quant Points to Remember
• Crash Course in Grammar – Download it