Introduction •In constructing sentences in English, there is the need for agreement to exist between the grammatical items in the sentence. •This agreement is known as concord relations. •Concord relations or agreements exist between various grammatical items such as; •Pronouns and nouns •Pronouns and pronouns •Subjects(nouns) and verbs •Let us first focus on subject-verb agreement relations
Subject-verb agreement
•In English, the subject in a sentence determines the choice of the verb. •The subject agrees with the verb in person and in number. •Let us consider the auxiliary verb “to be” •Singular Plural •1st I am we are •2nd you are you are •3rd he/she/it is they are
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•What happens in sentence construction which sometimes results in errors is when the subject is not clear. •We shall discuss some of such instances and determine the appropriate form of the verb suitable for the grammaticality of such sentences.
•When these indefinite pronouns or adjectives are used, the third person singular form of the verb is used.
For example •Each of the isotopes has its own atomic number. •Each of the international agreements has its own conditions. •None of the boys is present. •Either of the ladies is good for me.