Subject/Verb Agreement (Concord) (Grade 11 NSC Matric English HL): Revision Notes
Subject/Verb Agreement (Concord)
What is subject/verb agreement?
Concord is the term used to describe how subjects and verbs work together in a sentence. When writing or speaking correctly, your subject and verb must agree with each other. This means they both need to be either singular or plural - they must match.
Think of concord as a partnership: if you have one subject (singular), you need one form of the verb (singular). If you have multiple subjects (plural), you need the plural form of the verb.
The basic rule
The fundamental principle of subject/verb agreement is straightforward:
- Singular subjects pair with singular verbs
- Plural subjects pair with plural verbs
Examples:
- Singular: The policeman arrests the robbers. (one policeman = singular subject; arrests = singular verb)
- Plural: The policemen arrest the robbers. (multiple policemen = plural subject; arrest = plural verb)
Notice how "arrests" changes to "arrest" when the subject becomes plural. The 's' moves from the verb to the noun.
Common types of exam questions
In your NSC exams, you may encounter questions that ask you to:
- Rewrite a singular sentence in plural form (or vice versa)
- Correct subject/verb agreement errors in a sentence
- Identify the mistake in a sentence with incorrect concord
These questions typically appear in the Language Structures and Conventions section and are usually worth one mark each.
Understanding singular and plural forms
Third-person singular subjects
One of the most common errors occurs with third-person singular subjects. When your subject is he, she, it, or any singular noun, the present tense verb must end in 's' or 'es'.
Correct: She makes an impact on people. Incorrect: She make an impact on people.
Collective nouns and tricky subjects
Some subjects can be confusing because they seem plural but are actually singular:
- Body language is singular (even though it involves multiple body parts)
- The team is singular (even though it contains multiple people)
- Everyone is singular (even though it refers to many people)
Worked examples with explanations
Example 1: Changing from singular to plural
Original sentence: That mother and baby still move in my thoughts.
Plural version: Those mothers and babies still move in our thoughts.
Step-by-step changes:
- 'That' becomes 'Those' (plural demonstrative pronoun)
- 'Mother' becomes 'Mothers' (add 's' for plural)
- 'Baby' becomes 'Babies' (change 'y' to 'ies' for plural)
- 'My' becomes 'Our' (plural possessive pronoun)
Notice that "move" stays the same because it was already matching the compound subject.
Example 2: Correcting subject/verb agreement errors
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 subject "thoughts" is plural, so the verb must be "were" rather than "was". Even though "a thousand thoughts" might sound like a single concept, "thoughts" is the actual subject and it is plural.
Example 3: Changing only the subject
Original: The Minister of Education worked tirelessly.
Plural version: The Ministers of Education worked tirelessly.
Explanation: When converting to plural, only the main subject changes. In this case, "Minister" becomes "Ministers", but the verb "worked" remains the same because it's in past tense and doesn't change form for plural subjects in the past tense.
Example 4: Correcting present tense verb forms
Incorrect: She make an impact on people.
Correct: She makes an impact on people.
Explanation: The subject "She" is third-person singular, which means in present tense, the verb must end in 's'. Remember: he makes, she makes, it makes.
Example 5: Correcting past tense errors
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: "His face" is a singular subject (one face), so it requires the singular past tense verb "was" rather than the plural "were". Don't be distracted by other words in the sentence; focus on matching the subject and its verb.
Example 6: Identifying singular subjects
Incorrect: Body language make up 50 to 100% of a conversation.
Correct: Body language makes up 50 to 100% of a conversation.
Explanation: "Body language" is a singular concept, even though it refers to multiple gestures and expressions. Singular subjects take verbs ending in 's' in present tense.
Example 7: Complete sentence transformation
Original: 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 changes:
- 'A person' becomes 'People' (plural noun)
- 'He' becomes 'They' (plural pronoun)
- 'Is' becomes 'Are' (plural present tense of 'to be')
- 'Tends' becomes 'Tend' (remove the 's' for plural)
All elements of the sentence must change to maintain proper agreement.
Exam tips for success
Strategy 1: Always identify the subject first
Before you choose a verb, find the subject and decide whether it's singular or plural. Ask yourself: "Who or what is performing the action?"
Strategy 2: Make sure the verb matches the subject
Once you've identified whether the subject is singular or plural, select the correct verb form accordingly.
Strategy 3: Remember the third-person singular rule
In present tense, if your subject is he, she, it, or any singular noun, add 's' or 'es' to the verb (he runs, she thinks, it works).
Strategy 4: Check for only one mistake when questions are worth one mark
If the question is worth one mark, you should only correct one error. Don't change multiple things unnecessarily.
Strategy 5: Be careful with compound subjects
When subjects are joined by "and", they usually become plural (Tom and Jerry are friends). However, if they refer to the same person or thing, they may be singular (The captain and coach is responsible - if it's the same person).
Strategy 6: Watch out for tricky phrases
Phrases like "along with", "as well as", "together with" don't change a singular subject to plural. The subject remains singular (The teacher, along with her students, is attending the event).
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
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Concord means agreement - your subject and verb must match in number (singular or plural).
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Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. This is the golden rule of subject/verb agreement.
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Third-person singular subjects (he, she, it) need verbs ending in 's' in present tense (she walks, he talks, it works).
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Always identify the subject first before selecting the correct verb form - this is your most important strategy.
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In exam questions worth one mark, correct only one error to avoid losing marks for unnecessary changes.