Lecture 2 Lecture 2

Subject-verb Concord (I)

Lecture 2 Subject-verb Concord (I)

Definition:

Main Points:

The agreement between subject and predicate verb in number.

2.1 Guiding principles

2.2 Problems of concord with nouns ending in –s

2.3 problems of concord with collective nouns

Quiz

2.1 Guiding Principles

There are three principles guiding subject-verb concord:

1. Grammatical Concord2. Notional Concord3. Proximity

1) Grammatical Concordthe Rule:

The verb must match its subject in number.

Subject plural singular /a mass noun

Verb

Head word of the Phrase

The amount of Clauses

Main verb of the Simple Verb Phrase

Auxiliary of the Complex Verb Phrase

Subject

Verb

plural singular

Examples:

1. Happy families _____all alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own.

2. His brother rather than his parents ____to blame.

3. Children interfering in their parents’ right to remarry ______become a social problem.

4. What he did and what he said ______totally different.

5. Because they are dead language _____no reason why they should be ignored in academic circles.

are

is

families

brother

hasinterfering

areand

isBecause they are dead language

2) Notional Concordthe Rule:

The verb can sometimes agree with the subject according to the notion of number rather than to the actual presence of the grammatical marker for that notion.

the notion of numberactual presence

Head part of the Subject Predicate Verb

with singular meaning

with plural meaning

singular

plural

Plural Form

Singular Form

Examples:

The government have asked the country to decide by a vote.

Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.

Singular Formplural meaning

plural

Plural Formsingular meaning singul

ar

3) ProximityThe Rule: the verb agrees with a closely preceding noun

phrase in the subject.closely preceding

NP +NP+···+NP Verb…

Subject Predicate Verb

NPsingular singular

plural plural

Verb

Examples:

Either my brothers or my father is coming.

No one except his own supporters agree with him.

Subject

NP NP

Subject

NP NP

agrees with a closely preceding

noun phrase in the subject

Examples

Neither Julia nor I am going.

Subject:__________________________

NP close to predicate verb:__________________________

verb form:__________________________

Neither Julia nor I

I

singular

2.2 Problems of concord with 2.2 Problems of concord with nouns ending in –snouns ending in –s

What is ‘s’ ?

What is ‘s’ ?

inflectional affix for plural

noun

inflectional affix for singular

verb

S

last letter in a word

Problems

2.22.2 Problems of Concord with Nouns Problems of Concord with Nouns Ending in –sEnding in –s

Nouns that end in –s

A: not countable

treated as singular

plural

either singular or plural

B: countable

according to grammatical concord

2.22.2 Problems of Concord with Nouns Problems of Concord with Nouns Ending in –sEnding in –s

1) Disease Names Ending in –s:

2) Game Names Ending in –s:

3) Subject Names Ending in –ics:

4) Geographical Names Ending in –s:

5) Names for Things Made of Two Parts

6) Nouns Usually Taking Plural Endings:

7) Nouns Ending in –ings

8) Nouns Ending in –s with both Singular and Plural Meaning:

1) Disease Names Ending in –s:

mostly treated as singular

Rules:arthritis 关节炎 bronchitis 支气管炎 diabetes 糖尿病 measles 麻疹 mumps 腮腺炎病phlebitis 静脉炎 rabies 狂犬病 rickets 软骨 shingles 带状疱疹

can be used singular / plural

Exception:

2) Game Names Ending in –s:

Rules:

generally singular

1. cardsusually plural

2. Not for nameusually plural

Exception:

billiards 台球 bowls 保龄球 darts 投镖游戏 draughts 国际跳棋 marbles 弹子游戏checkers 跳棋 tiddlywinks 挑圆片 skittles 九柱戏 dominoes 多米诺骨牌

4) Geographical Names Ending in –s:

Rules:Archipelagosmountain rangesstraits falls

Plural verb

country names Singular verb

1.

2.

The Himalayas have a magnificent variety of plant and animal life.

The straits of Gibraltar have not lost their strategic importance.

In early January 1976, the Netherlands was hit by its worst storm since 1953.

eg.

5) Names for Things Made of Two Parts

Rules:usually plural

determined by unit noun

Exception:

The scissors are on the ground.

This pair of scissors belongs to the tailor

6) Nouns Usually Taking Plural Endings:

generally plural

whereabouts, dramatics plural / singular

Rules:

The goods are to be exported to Canada.

The remains of an ancient city was/were found thereThe late president’s remains are buried in the churchyard.

Exception:

7) Nouns Ending in –ings

generally plural

Rules:

except tidings plural / singular

The sightings were reported 20 years ago.were

Exception:

8) Nouns Ending in –s with both Singular and Plural Meanings:

Rules:

Plural meaning Plural verb

Singular meaning Singular verb

The species of fish______ numerous

This species of rose______very curious.

are

is

2.3 Problems of Concord with Collective Nouns as Subject

Feature:

Singular in Form but

Plural in Meaning

2.3 Problems of Concord with Collective Nouns as Subject

1) Collective nouns usually used as Plural

2) Collective nouns usually used as Singular

3) Collective nouns used either as Plural or as Singular

4) A committee of, etc + plural noun

1) Collective Nouns Usually Used as Plural

Including:

people, police, cattle, militia, poultry, vermin

Domestic cattle provide us with milk, beef and hides.

The mankind long for peace.

2) Collective Nouns Usually Used as Singular

Including:

foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise

All the merchandise has arrived undamaged.

All the machinery in the factory is made in china.

3) Collective Nouns Used either as Plural or as Singular

Including:

Audience, committee, class, crew, family, government, public, team

The anti-crime committee is to make its report tomorrow.

The committee are divided in opinion about this problem.

That group of soldiers is a top-notch fighting unit.

That group of soldiers have the best ratings of individual performance.

committee its

committee divided in opinion

group a unit

groupindividual performance

4) A committee of, etc + plural noun

committee board panel

a of plural noun verb

Subject

Head of noun phrase

Predicate verb

Singular form Singular verb

A committee of five men and three women is to consider the matter.

Post modifiernoun

phrase