AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH GRAMMAR & LANGUAGE
      (iv) Incorrect - Neither you nor he are to blame.         nothing or anything.
      8. When Subject differing in number, or person, or both,       For example,
are connected by and, the Verb must always by in the Plu-       (i) Something is better than nothing
ral; and of the First Person, if one of the subjects is of that             ̄     ̄
person; of the second person, if one of the Subjects is of               SUB. VERB
the that person and none of the first.
                                                                                 SING.
      For example,
                                                                (ii) Everybody among your friends likes playing.
      (i) He and I are well.
                                                                     17. The Verb takes the Plural form if the Subject is
      (ii) My father and I have lived here five years.          many, both, few or a few.
      (iii) You and he are birds of the same feather.
                                                                     (i) Both are happy.
      (iv) You and I have done our duty.
                                                                           ̄       ̄
      9. A Collective Noun takes a Singular Verb when the
                                                                       SUB. VERB
collection is thought of as a whole; a Plural Verb when the
                                                                                PLU.
individuals of which it is composed are thought of.
                                                                (ii) Many were invited but a few have come.  ̄            ̄
      For example,                                                    ̄  ̄
      (i) The committee was agreed on the main question.               SUB VERB                    SUB VERB
      (ii) India have scored 250 for three wickets.                           PLU.                      PLU.
      10. Some Nouns which are Plural in form, but Singular          18. Both of, a few of or many of is followed by a Plural
in meaning take a Singular Verb.                                Noun or Noun Equivalent and a Plural Verb as well.
      For example,                                                   For example,
      The news is true.                                              Many of the trees          are green.
      11. Some Nouns which are Singular in form but Plural                              ̄          ̄
in meaning, take a Plural Verb.                                                     NOUN VERB
      For example,                                                                   PLU.      PLU.
      According to the present market rate twelve dozen cost         19. Many, a great many or a good many is generally
one hundred rupees.                 ̄                            followed by a Plural Noun and a Plural Verb.
                        PLU.                                         For example,
      12. When a Plural Noun comes between a Singular Sub-      A great many boys are sitting here.
ject and its Verb, the Verb is often wrongly made to agree                          ̄        ̄
with the nearest Plural Noun instead of with the real Sub-                      NOUN VERB
ject. We should guard against this error and say. For ex-                         PLU.     PLU.
ample,                                                               But, what is to be noted is “Many a” is followed by a
      (i) Each of the sisters is clever.                        Singular Noun and a Singular Verb.
      (ii) Neither of the men was very tall.                         For example,
      (iii) A variety of pleasing objects charms the eye.            Many a pen          is red.
                                                                                 ̄         ̄
      (iv) The quality of the mangoes was not good.
                                                                              NOUN VERB
      13. Words joined to a singular Suject by with, together
                                                                              SING. SING.
with, in addition to or as well as, etc., are parenthetical
                                                                     20. Both Noun and Verb used after a number of or a
and therefore do not affect the number of the Verb.
                                                                large number of are in Plural Number.
      For example,
                                                                     For example,
(i) The chief, with all his men, was massacred.
                                                                  A number of girls have passsed.
          ̄                        ̄
                                                                                     ̄         ̄
      SING                  VERB SING
                                                                                NOUN VERB
(ii) Rama, and not you, has won the prize.
                                                                                 PLU. PLU.
          ̄                  ̄
                                                                     But, note that, the number of is followed by a Plural
  SUB SING.            VERB SING.
                                                                Noun and a Singular Verb.
      14. The Verb “to be” takes the same case after it as           For example,
before it.                                                           The Number of the buses is increasing.
      For example,                                                                          ̄      ̄
                                                                                         NOUN VERB
      (i) He said to them; it is I; be not afraid.                                        PLU. SING.
      (ii) It was you who did it for me.                             21. If a Countable Noun is used after some, some of,
      15. When the Subject of the Verb is a Relative Pronoun    all, all of, enough, most, most of, great deal of, lots of,
care should be taken to see that the Verb agrees in Number      a lot of or planty of, then this Noun should be in Plural
and Person with the antecedent of the Relative Pronoun.         and also followed by a Plural Verb.
      For example,                                                   For example,
      I, who am your friend, will guard your interest.               (i) All Men      are mortal.
      16. The Verb in a sentence remains in Singular, if the                   ̄         ̄
Subject is everyone, someone, some-body, nobody, any-                      NOUN VERB
body, no one, everyone, anyone, everything, something,                    COUNT. PLU.
                                                            SEE–91