Transcript Other Problem Subjects Notes (p. 121 - 125 packet)

Subject/Verb
Agreement
Other problem subjects and
special sentence problems
Plural vs. Singular in sticky
situations…

Collective nouns can be deceptive—
sometimes they can be considered singular,
other times plural.

Rule: If the collective noun (team, group,
audience, etc.) acts together, the verb is
singular. If the collective noun acts separately
as individuals, then the verb is plural
For example…
The class (as one unit) agrees that we should
not have homework over the weekend.
 The class (as individuals) have different
opinions on how to finish the work.
(I know it sounds goofy, but it’s correct…)

Nouns which are plural in form
Some nouns ending in –s or –ics APPEAR to
be plural but are really SINGULAR (darn
nouns!)
Examples…mathematics, politics, civics, news,
mumps, physics… BUT…
 Some words ending in –ics are sometimes
plural (double darn!)
Ex: Ethics does not play a role in the movie.
The candidate’s ethics are questionable.

Titles and Numerical amounts
Titles of works of art, literature, film, or music
are singular. Words and phrases that refer to
weights, measures, numbers, and lengths of
time are usually treated as singular.
Examples:
Star Wars is my favorite movie.
Ten thousand dollars is too much for that car.
Fifty pounds seems too heavy to carry.

Another exception…
Fractions (three-quarters, five-eighths) can
be considered singular or plural, depending
on the context.
 Examples: Three-quarters of the class falls
asleep while the teacher gives grammar
notes.
One quarter of the students love grammar!
[three quarters refers to class (sing.) while one
quarter refers to students (plural)]

Practice and Apply

Try out numbers 1-5, activity 3 on page 166
of your grammar text. Write the verb form
that agrees with the subject.