Singular/ Plural verbs

6 February 2015

1. The frightened duckling quacks incessantly.

2. The child sings joyfully.

1. The frightened ducklings quack incessantly.

2. The children sing joyfully.

SINGULAR VERB

PLURAL VERB

When do we use singular?1. Compound subjects taken as single units• Time and tide waits for no man

2. Amount/ quantity/ distance/ number• $200 is what I have been able to save.• 20 is enough.• 2 km is too far to walk.

3. Titles, names of countries• Malaysia produces a lot of palm oil.

When do we use singular?4. Words ending in ‘s’• Politics is interesting.• Mathematics is fun

5. Many a…• Many a kind man has led fruitful lives.

6. The number…• The number of dengue cases has

increased this week.

When do we use singular?7. With, together with, like, as well as• Examples?

8. Each, everybody, anybody, nobody, one of, every• Examples?

9. The only• Hady is the only one who understands

Fairouz.

When do we use plural?1. A compound subject2. Multiple number3. People4. A number of…5. One of those…

Collective nouns

•As a single unit, use singular verbs:•My family has five members in total.• The Mendaki class is huge.

•As several units, use plural verbs:• Since their last match, the soccer team

have not decided on their next schedule.• The class were moved by their

teacher’s farewell speech.

Either…or & Neither…nor-linked to a singular subject, use singular verbs

• Either Nuryn or Nisa likes the colour pink.

• Neither Mikhail nor Irfan knows where Ahmad’s pencilbox is.

Either…or & Neither…nor-linked to plural subjects, use plural verbs

• Either the coach or the players have the right to decide the jersey colour.

• Neither the girls nor the boys know the name of their teacher.

NoneIn formal use, use singular verbs:I wanted to buy an iPhone 6 cover for my mother but none was available at the shop.

In Literary use, colloquial, use plural verbs:There are none so cruel as those who abuse animals for hobby purposes.

All, half, means, a lot ofAll is well.All are welcome into the museum.

Half a loaf of bread is given to each refugee.

All means have been thought of to fight the forest fires.Every means was tried to save the dying patient.

A lot of practise has to be done to improve my Mathematics.A lot of cats were killed in Yishun lately.

QUIZ TIME!Editing

1. Neither money nor power satisfy Tom’s needs.

2. Julie ask a lot of questions in class.

3. Every Tom, Dick and Harry seem to have an opinion

on how to solve the problem faced by the economy.

4. A new bed, in addition to new cabinets, are needed.

5. The trouble is that this company have too many

leaders, too few followers.

1. Neither money nor power satisfy Tom’s needs.

2. Julie ask a lot of questions in class.

3. Every Tom, Dick and Harry seem to have an opinion

on how to solve the problem faced by the economy.

4. A new bed, in addition to new cabinets, are needed.

5. The trouble is that this company have too many

leaders, too few followers.