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Lecture 2 and Lecture 3
Subject-verb Concord
 1.Guiding principles
 1) Grammatical concord
 2) Notional concord
 3) Proximity
The principle of grammatical concord refers to the rule
that the verb must match its subject in number. If the
subject is plural, the verb should take the plural form; if,
on the other hand, the subject is singular or is a mass
noun, the verb should take the singular form,
eg:
Both boys have their own merits.
Every girl comes on time.
Much effort is wasted.
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The principle of notional concord refers to the rule that 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,
eg:
The government have asked the country to decide by a
vote.
Fifteen miles seems like a long walk to me.
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The principle of proximity denotes agreement of the verb
with a closely preceding noun phrase in preference to
agreement with the head of the noun phrase that functions
as subject,
eg:
Either my brothers or my father is coming.
No one except his own supporters agree with him.
Neither Julia nor I am going.
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2. Problems of concord with nouns ending
in –s
1) Disease and game names ending in –s
2) Subject names ending in –ics
3) Geographical names endings in –s
4) Other nouns ending in -s
 英语中一些以-s结尾的疾病名称通常作单数
用：
Mumps is kind of infectious disease.
Phlebitis is a swollen condition of the
blood vessels.
但有一些疾病既可作单数又可作复数用：
Generally，Measles occurs in children.
Measles are sometimes caused by a
tapeworm.
 表示游戏的名称通常作单数用：
Darts is essentially a free and easy game.
但也有个别表示游戏的名称作复数用：
Cards are not allowed here.
 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
 4. Problems of concord with a coordinate
subject
1) Coordination with “and” or “both…and”
2) Coordination with “or”/ “either…or”, “nor” /
“neither…nor”, “not only…but also”
5. Problems of concord with expressions
quantity as subject
1) Concord with expression of definite quantity
as subject
2) Concord with expression of indefinite
quantity as subject
 6. Other problems of subject-verb concord
1) Problems of concord with a nominal clause as
subject
2) Subject-verb concord with a non-finite clause as
subject
3) Subject-verb concord in relative clauses
4) Subject-verb concord in cleft-sentences
5) Subject-verb concord in existential
sentences
Assignment
Exercise in the Textbook