#Subject-verb agreement. Agreement with simple and pronoun subjects.
Agreement refers to the way the verb has a form appropriate to the number and person in subject.
SIMPLE SUBJECT
1. Invariable singular nouns take a singular predicate (water, news, cash, money, billiards, measles)
There is a possibility of a shift in meaning making some nouns countable:
Last summer experiences have influenced his attitude to life.
2. Invariable plural nouns take a plural verb (cattle, police, shorts, the Hebrides, goods)
Some nouns may have both pl and sg forms, we can distinguish them in the context:
The crossroads in this city are always busy. This crossroads is dangerous.
Audience, firm, team, jury
-ics: denoting academic disciplines sg, other meanings pl.
PRONOUN SUBJECT
1. If the quantity is expressed by a universal pronoun (everybody, either, each), negative pronoun (nobody, no one, neither), indefinite pronoun (someone, somebody) or pronominal phrases – the verb is singular.
None – both sg and plural, but regular is pl.
2. Both – plural
3. All, interrogative pronouns who, what, which – both sg and pl
SIMPLE SUBJECT
1. Invariable singular nouns take a singular predicate (water, news, cash, money, billiards, measles)
There is a possibility of a shift in meaning making some nouns countable:
Last summer experiences have influenced his attitude to life.
2. Invariable plural nouns take a plural verb (cattle, police, shorts, the Hebrides, goods)
Some nouns may have both pl and sg forms, we can distinguish them in the context:
The crossroads in this city are always busy. This crossroads is dangerous.
Audience, firm, team, jury
-ics: denoting academic disciplines sg, other meanings pl.
PRONOUN SUBJECT
1. If the quantity is expressed by a universal pronoun (everybody, either, each), negative pronoun (nobody, no one, neither), indefinite pronoun (someone, somebody) or pronominal phrases – the verb is singular.
None – both sg and plural, but regular is pl.
2. Both – plural
3. All, interrogative pronouns who, what, which – both sg and pl