Subject/Verb Agreement (Concord) (Grade 10 NSC Matric English FAL): Revision Notes
Subject/Verb Agreement (Concord)
Understanding subject-verb agreement
Concord is the term used to describe how the subject and verb in a sentence must match or agree with each other. This is a fundamental rule in English grammar that ensures your sentences are grammatically correct.
The basic principle is straightforward: when you have a singular subject (referring to one person or thing), you must use a singular verb. Similarly, when you have a plural subject (referring to more than one person or thing), you must use a plural verb.
Think of subject-verb agreement as a partnership: the subject and verb must work together as a team. If your subject is singular, your verb must be singular too. If your subject is plural, your verb must be plural as well. They must always match!
Simple examples
Let's look at how this works in practice:
Singular Form: "The policeman arrests the robbers."
- Here, "policeman" is singular (one person), so we use the singular verb "arrests"
Plural Form: "The policemen arrest the robbers."
- Here, "policemen" is plural (more than one person), so we use the plural verb "arrest"
Notice how the verb changes from "arrests" to "arrest" when the subject changes from singular to plural.
Common exam questions
In your NSC English FAL exam, you may be tested on subject-verb agreement in two main ways:
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Rewriting sentences: You might be asked to rewrite a singular sentence in plural form (or vice versa). This tests whether you can correctly change both the subject and the verb to match.
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Correcting errors: You might be given a sentence with subject-verb agreement errors and asked to correct them. This tests your ability to spot mismatches between subjects and verbs.
Both types of questions require you to identify the subject first, then make sure the verb agrees with it. This is the most crucial step in answering these questions correctly!
How to change from singular to plural
When you need to convert a singular sentence into a plural one, you must change several elements, not just the subject. Let's examine a detailed example to understand this process.
Worked example: complete sentence conversion
Worked Example: Converting Singular to Plural
Original sentence (Singular): "That mother and baby still move in my thoughts."
Plural version: "Those mothers and babies still move in our thoughts."
Step-by-step breakdown of changes:
- 'That' → 'Those': The demonstrative pronoun must become plural
- 'Mother' → 'Mothers': Add 's' to make the noun plural
- 'Baby' → 'Babies': Change 'y' to 'ies' following the spelling rule for nouns ending in 'y'
- 'My' → 'Our': The possessive pronoun must also become plural
This example shows that changing a sentence to plural form involves updating multiple words, not just the main noun.
Common errors and how to correct them
Let's explore different types of subject-verb agreement errors you might encounter and how to fix them.
Agreement errors with compound subjects
Error Example: Compound Subject Agreement
Incorrect: "My heart was in my throat and a thousand thoughts was racing through my mind."
Correct: "My heart was in my throat and a thousand thoughts were racing through my mind."
Explanation: The word "thoughts" is plural, which means it refers to more than one thought. Therefore, you must use the plural verb were instead of the singular verb "was". This is a common mistake because students sometimes focus on the wrong part of the sentence.
Converting subjects from singular to plural
Error Example: Subject Conversion
Incorrect: "The Minister of Education worked tirelessly."
Correct: "The Ministers of Education worked tirelessly."
Explanation: When you change a sentence from singular to plural, only the subject changes in this case. "Minister" becomes Ministers, but the verb "worked" stays the same because it's in the past tense and doesn't change form between singular and plural.
Third-person singular verb forms
Error Example: Third-Person Singular
Incorrect: "She make an impact on people."
Correct: "She makes an impact on people."
Explanation: In the present tense, when your subject is a third-person singular pronoun (he, she, or it), the verb must end in 's'. This is a crucial rule to remember. The verb "make" becomes makes when used with "she".
Memory aid: "He, she, it - add an 's' to fit!"
This simple rhyme will help you remember that third-person singular subjects in present tense always require verbs ending in 's'.
Past tense agreement errors
Error Example: Past Tense Agreement
Incorrect: "His face were still partially paralysed and he spoke in a soft voice."
Correct: "His face was still partially paralysed and he spoke in a soft voice."
Explanation: The subject "his face" is singular (it's one face), so you must use the singular past tense verb was rather than the plural "were". This error often occurs because students don't carefully identify whether the subject is singular or plural.
Memory aid: "Was for one, were for more!"
This helps you remember which form to use in past tense:
- Use "was" for singular subjects
- Use "were" for plural subjects
Singular concepts that seem plural
Error Example: Singular Concepts
Incorrect: "Body language make up 50 to 100% of a conversation."
Correct: "Body language makes up 50 to 100% of a conversation."
Explanation: Although "body language" contains two words, it functions as a singular concept. It's one thing, not multiple things, so it requires a singular verb. The correct verb form is makes, not "make".
Watch out for singular concepts!
Some phrases that seem plural are actually singular:
- Body language
- The news
- Mathematics
- Economics
These all require singular verbs because they represent single concepts or fields of study.
Complete sentence plural conversions
Worked Example: Full Sentence Conversion
Original (Singular): "When a person is lying, he tends to become generally less expressive."
Plural version: "When people are lying, they tend to become generally less expressive."
Step-by-step breakdown of what changes:
- 'A person' → 'People': The subject becomes plural
- 'He' → 'They': The pronoun must match the plural subject
- 'Is' → 'Are': The verb must agree with the plural subject "people"
- 'Tends' → 'Tend': This verb also changes to match the plural subject
Notice that when you convert a sentence to plural, you need to change the subject, any pronouns referring to it, and all verbs that relate to that subject.
Exam tips for success
Follow these practical strategies to answer subject-verb agreement questions correctly:
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Identify the subject first: Before you do anything else, find the subject of the sentence and determine whether it's singular or plural. This is the most important step.
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Make sure the verb matches: Once you know whether your subject is singular or plural, check that the verb form agrees with it. In present tense, remember that third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) take verbs ending in 's'.
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Check for only one mistake: If a question is worth one mark, you should only correct one error. Don't change things that are already correct, as this might cost you the mark.
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Be systematic: When converting sentences, work through each element methodically. Check demonstratives (this/these, that/those), subjects, pronouns, possessives, and verbs.
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Read the sentence aloud: Sometimes, hearing the sentence can help you spot agreement errors more easily.
Exam Strategy Tip:
Work in this order when answering subject-verb agreement questions:
- Find the subject
- Determine if it's singular or plural
- Check if the verb matches
- Look for other elements that need to change (pronouns, demonstratives, possessives)
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
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Concord means the subject and verb must agree - if your subject is singular, your verb must be singular; if your subject is plural, your verb must be plural.
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Always identify the subject first - determine whether it's singular or plural before selecting the correct verb form.
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Third-person singular subjects take verbs ending in 's' - remember "he makes", "she goes", "it works" in the present tense.
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When changing to plural, multiple elements change - update demonstratives, nouns, pronouns, possessives, and verbs to ensure everything matches.
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Some concepts are singular even if they contain multiple words - phrases like "body language" or "the news" are singular and require singular verbs.