Page 77 - Real English 2024 Book 8

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

3. A singular subject with attached phrases introduced by with, like or as well as is followed by
a singular verb.

Zohra, with several others, was disqualified.
Tom, as well as Salim, rises early in the morning.
4. Here are some words and expressions that are followed by singular verbs:

a) each of, one of, neither of, every one of, etc.
b) each, any, none, anyone/anybody, everyone/everybody, nobody, etc.
Each of my friends has a pet.
Neither of the thieves was caught.
Anybody is welcome here.
None of the teachers was present.
5. When two subjects are connected by and, the verb is plural.
}
Tanu and Sherin are great friends.
Azhar and his wife like boating. two singular subjects
Mangaluru and Shimoga are in Karnataka. connected by and
Tanu and her friends play here after school.
Azhar and the waiters of the restaurant were } one singular and one plural
standing in the hallway. subject connected by and
Your cousins and I were fishing last evening.
Your friends and my cousins have joined the club. } two plural subjects
The labourers and the farmers are protesting today. connected by and
6. When two singular subjects are connected by either . . . or, neither . . . nor, or simply or, the
verb is singular.

Either Naren or Sumit is right.
Neither the minister nor the police chief has any answer.
Sugar or jaggery is used as a sweetener in this dish.

7. Plural subjects connected by either . . . or, neither . . . nor, or simply or will have a plural verb.
Neither the boys nor the girls have written the correct answer.
Neither the labourers nor the farmers were happy with the money they got.

8. When the subject is a collective noun like crowd, team and government, we can use either a
singular or a plural verb depending on the meaning we want to convey.

The team needs motivation. (The team as a whole is treated as one entity.)
The team are celebrating their victory. (Emphasis on the team as a group of individuals)

9. Sometimes the verb agrees with a plural noun or pronoun that precedes it, rather than with
the actual subject, in examples like these:

None of the guests take sugar in their tea.
No one among the victims are in a position to give any details.
A number of people have come.

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