Subject/Verb Agreement (Concord) (Grade 10 NSC Matric English HL): Revision Notes
Subject/Verb Agreement (Concord)
What is subject-verb agreement?
Subject-verb agreement (also called concord) is a fundamental grammar rule that ensures your subjects and verbs work together correctly in a sentence. This means the verb must match the subject in number.
The basic principle is simple:
- When you have a singular subject (one person or thing), you must use a singular verb
- When you have a plural subject (more than one person or thing), you must use a plural verb
Think of it like a matching game – your subject and verb must always agree with each other.
Basic examples
Let's look at how this works in practice:
Basic Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular form:
- The policeman arrests the robbers.
- Subject: "The policeman" (one person)
- Verb: "arrests" (singular form)
Plural form:
- The policemen arrest the robbers.
- Subject: "The policemen" (more than one person)
- Verb: "arrest" (plural form)
Notice how the verb changes from "arrests" to "arrest" when the subject changes from singular to plural.
What you might be asked in exams
Subject-verb agreement questions commonly appear in your language paper. You should be prepared to:
Common Exam Question Types:
- Rewrite sentences from singular to plural form (or vice versa)
- Identify and correct subject-verb agreement errors in sentences
These questions typically require careful attention to both the subject and the verb, ensuring they match in number.
Worked examples
Let's work through different types of questions you might encounter, with detailed explanations for each.
Example 1: Changing a sentence to plural form
Worked Example: Converting Singular to Plural
Original sentence: That mother and baby still move in my thoughts.
Corrected plural form: Those mothers and babies still move in our thoughts.
Step-by-step changes:
- 'That' → 'Those' (demonstrative pronoun becomes plural)
- 'Mother' → 'Mothers' (add 's' to make plural)
- 'Baby' → 'Babies' (change 'y' to 'ies' for plural)
- 'My' → 'Our' (possessive pronoun becomes plural)
This example shows that when converting to plural form, you need to change multiple words in the sentence, not just the main subject and verb.
Example 2: Correcting subject-verb agreement errors
Worked Example: Fixing Agreement Errors
Incorrect sentence: My heart was in my throat and a thousand thoughts was racing through my mind.
Corrected sentence: My heart was in my throat and a thousand thoughts were racing through my mind.
Explanation: The word 'thoughts' is plural, which means the verb must also be plural. Therefore, 'was' (singular) should be changed to 'were' (plural). Even though "thousand" might sound like a single unit, remember that you're talking about multiple thoughts.
Example 3: Changing only the subject
Worked Example: Past Tense Conversion
Original sentence: The Minister of Education worked tirelessly.
Plural form: The Ministers of Education worked tirelessly.
Key point: In this example, only the subject changes from singular ('Minister') to plural ('Ministers'). The verb 'worked' stays the same because it's in the past tense, which doesn't change form between singular and plural. This is an important distinction to remember.
Example 4: Correcting present tense verb forms
Worked Example: Third-Person Singular
Incorrect sentence: She make an impact on people.
Corrected sentence: She makes an impact on people.
Explanation: When you have a third-person singular subject (he, she, or it), the verb in present tense must end in 's'. The verb 'make' becomes 'makes' when used with 'she'.
This is a very common error, so pay special attention to verbs used with he, she, and it.
Example 5: Correcting past tense errors
Worked Example: Past Tense 'Was' vs 'Were'
Incorrect sentence: His face were still partially paralysed and he spoke in a soft voice.
Corrected sentence: His face was still partially paralysed and he spoke in a soft voice.
Explanation: The subject 'his face' is singular (one face), so the past tense verb must be 'was', not 'were'. The word 'were' is only used with plural subjects or with the pronoun 'you'.
Example 6: Understanding collective nouns
Worked Example: Collective Nouns
Incorrect sentence: Body language make up 50 to 100% of a conversation.
Corrected sentence: Body language makes up 50 to 100% of a conversation.
Explanation: Even though 'body language' refers to many different signals and gestures, it's treated as a singular noun (like "furniture" or "information"). Therefore, it takes a singular verb: 'makes', not 'make'.
Example 7: Converting a complete sentence to plural
Worked Example: Complete Sentence Conversion
Original sentence: When a person is lying, he tends to become generally less expressive.
Plural form: When people are lying, they tend to become generally less expressive.
All the changes needed:
- 'A person' → 'People' (indefinite article and noun become plural)
- 'He' → 'They' (pronoun becomes plural)
- 'Is' → 'Are' (verb 'to be' becomes plural)
- 'Tends' → 'Tend' (main verb loses the 's' ending for plural)
This example demonstrates that converting to plural affects multiple parts of the sentence. Every word that refers to the subject must change accordingly.
Exam tips
Follow these strategies to improve your accuracy with subject-verb agreement:
Strategy 1: Identify the subject first
- Always locate the subject before looking at the verb
- Ask yourself: "Who or what is doing the action?"
- Determine whether it's singular or plural
Strategy 2: Match the verb to the subject
- Once you've identified the subject, make sure the verb agrees with it
- Don't be distracted by other words that come between the subject and verb
Strategy 3: Remember the 's' rule
- In present tense, third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) always take verbs ending in 's'
- Example: He walks, She talks, It works
Strategy 4: Check for only one error
- If the question is worth one mark, look for only one mistake
- Don't overcorrect by changing multiple things when only one error exists
- Read the question carefully to understand what's being asked
Strategy 5: Watch out for tricky subjects
- Collective nouns (team, family, group, body language) are usually singular
- Words like "everyone" and "everybody" are singular despite referring to many people
- Don't let words between the subject and verb confuse you
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Concord means agreement – your subject and verb must match in number throughout the sentence.
- Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. This is the golden rule.
- Third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) need verbs ending in 's' in present tense.
- When converting to plural form, remember to change all related words, including pronouns, demonstratives, and possessives.
- Identify the subject first, then ensure the verb matches – this simple strategy will help you avoid most errors.