Subject-Verb Agreement and Common Errors - VI

 

Subject-Verb Agreement and Common Errors - VI

    Dear readers, in the previous post we discussed some of the common errors associated with Errors due to Proximity in terms of Subject-Verb Agreement that English as non-native speakers encounter in their daily conversations. In continuation with that, this present post highlights the common errors that people tend to commit in terms of Subject-Verb Agreement. 

    Mostly we commit mistakes based on subject-verb agreement in our English. We should learn that verb agrees with subject. If a subject is singular, it takes a singular verb; and if a subject is plural, it takes a plural verb. Let us look at some of the common errors that we might encounter in our daily conversations in terms of Errors due to Proximity.

Errors due to Proximity

When a plural noun denotes some specific quantity or amount considered as a whole, the verb is generally Singular. Examples:

• Two lakhs per month is a good salary. (not are) 
• Three-fourth of the village is flooded. (not are)
• Two months is a long vacation. (not are)                                                                                               Titles of Books and Names of Sciences:   
• Sons and Lovers is a novel that portrays modern culture. (not are)
• The United States of America has got the most powerful army. (not have)
• Economics is an interesting subject. (not are)
• Mathematics is one of my favourite subjects.  

 Let us discuss some more ideas on the same topic in the next post. 

Author:

Dr. K. Nandhakumar

Assistant Professor of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science (Autonomous)

Coimbatore- 641 020