Subject Verb Agreement Exceptions
Rule 1: In some
situation, when proper noun that ends in -s
is singular. Therefore, the verb is also singular.
Example: The United
States is a big country. Here, The United States is a singular noun.
Some more examples of proper nouns that ends in -s:
1. The United Nations
2. The New York Times
3. The Philippines
4. The United Arab Emirates
2. The New York Times
3. The Philippines
4. The United Arab Emirates
All the above four proper nouns are singular nouns and thus
take singular verbs.
Rule 2: The word news is always singular. Therefore, it
will take a singular verb.
Examples:
1. No news is a good news.
2. The news in that newspaper is biased.
3. The news is very interesting.
4. The news nowadays has lost its charm.
2. The news in that newspaper is biased.
3. The news is very interesting.
4. The news nowadays has lost its charm.
Rule 3: Fields of
study that end in -ics take singular verbs.
Example:
1. Physics is an interesting subject.
2. Mathematics is a difficult subject.
3. Economics is a boring subject.
4. Statistics is easy for her.
2. Mathematics is a difficult subject.
3. Economics is a boring subject.
4. Statistics is easy for her.
Rule 4: Money,
time and distance expressions also take singular verb.
Examples:
1. Five dollars is too much for a pen!
2. Eight hours of sleep is good for health.
3. Three thousand miles is too long to travel by a car.
2. Eight hours of sleep is good for health.
3. Three thousand miles is too long to travel by a car.
Rule 5: Arithmetic
expressions also take singular verbs.
Examples:
1. Two plus two is four.
2. Two times three is six.
3. Five and five equals ten.
4. 300 + 200 is 500
2. Two times three is six.
3. Five and five equals ten.
4. 300 + 200 is 500
Rule 6: Words
such as police, fish, people and cattle do not end in -s but they are plural nouns and
therefore, take plural verbs.
Examples:
1. The police are prepared in case there is a theft.
2. Five colorful fish are swimming in the aquarium.
3. Many people in my office are from Austria.
4. Cattle are domestic animals.
2. Five colorful fish are swimming in the aquarium.
3. Many people in my office are from Austria.
4. Cattle are domestic animals.
Rule 7: Some
illnesses such as measles, rabies, shingles, herpes and diabetes end in -s but they all are singular nouns, and therefore take singular
verbs.
Examples:
1. Herpes is a painful illness.
2. Shingles is an infection.
3. Rabies is also an illness.
2. Shingles is an infection.
3. Rabies is also an illness.
Rule 8: Some
nouns of nationality that end in -ch,
-sh, and -ese take plural verb because they can mean
people from different nationality.
Examples:
1. The English are nice people.
2. The French are independent people.
3. The Chinese are friendly people.
2. The French are independent people.
3. The Chinese are friendly people.
In the above examples: The English = people from England, The French = people
from French, The Chinese = people from
China.
Subject Verb Agreement Exceptions
Reviewed by Unknown
on
February 26, 2017
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