Good English is not
judged by or based on the number of complex vocabulary or sentences your essay
contains but by the good use of concord. "Concord" is easily defined
by a good number of people who rarely apply its rules. The English essays of so
many persons have been awarded zero due to the continuous feud and hassle
between the subject and the verb in their sentences. Undergraduates, learners
and even graduates of English are no doubt victims of this unavoidable mistake;
thus, my decision to write this article.
Concord
is all about obeying the rules that govern the subject(s) and the verb(s) in a
sentence. unarguably, if these rules are totally adhered to while writing your
essay, your essay will not only be good but also be the best. Before stating
these rules, it is paramount that you know the meaning of concord.
What Is Concord?
In simple
terms, concord is defined as the agreement between all the parts of a
clause or sentence, particularly between the subject and the verb.
Rules of Concord
1.
Singular nouns should take singular verbs.
Example:
- Emeka needs help.
- Emeka
and Kalu need help.
2. All
personal pronouns at the subject position except the third person singular
pronouns (he/she/it) should take plural verbs.
Examples
- I love
delicious meals.
- We love
delicious meals.
- They love...
- You love...
The words
underlined above are the personal pronouns that must take plural verbs in
sentences. On the other hand, the third person singular pronouns(he/she/it),
which occupy the subject position in a sentence, must take singular verbs.
Examples
- He loves delicious
meals.
- She loves delicious
meals.
- It loves...
'Loves'
is the singular form of 'love' and goes with a singular noun or pronoun as
shown in the sentences above.
Note: In
English language, most nouns form their plural by the addition of 's', 'es',
'ies', 'ves' whereas verbs form their singular form by the addition of 's'.
Hope you got the difference?
3. The
base form of any lexical verb coming after the primary auxiliary verbs (has,
have, be, is, was, had, were etc.) should be in its past participle form.
Examples
- I have rung the
bell.
- He has rung the
bell.
- The
bell was rung by him.
- The
battle has just begun.
- Let
the song be sung.
4. If
singular subjects are joined by either of the correlative conjunctions('either
or' and 'neither nor'), the subject is considered singular, and as such,
the verb will also be singular.
Examples
- Either
Emeka or Emma is coming.
- Neither
the teacher nor the principal has a pen.
5. Nouns
that traditionally end in 's' should take a singular verb.
Examples
- Measles is a
deadly disease.
- Mathematics is simple
but difficult subject to many.
6. There
are some cases where nouns which do not end in 's' are considered as plural
nouns. In this case, such nouns should take plural verbs in sentences.
Examples
- The
rich also cry.
- The
Police are investigating the case.
- Nigerian
Clergy are very honest.
7. If the
two nouns or items joined are closely related and always used together, the
subject is considered singular, and the verb also becomes singular.
Examples
- Eba
and egusi soup is very delicious.
- Bread
and butter is my favourite lunch.
- Rice
and beans is very delicious too.
8. In a
case where one of the two items joined is singular while the other one is
plural, the verb will maintain agreement with the item closer to it.
Examples
- Either
Emeka or his teachers are angry.
- Neither
the teachers nor Emeka is angry.
In
example one above, the plural verb, "are", is used because the noun
closer to it is a plural noun.
9. When
making use of semi conjunctions, the verb maintains agreement with the
first item mentioned. If the first item is a singular noun, the verb automatically
becomes singular irrespective of the form of the second item and vice versa.
Semi conjunctions are words that are used as conjunctions but are not actually
conjunctions. Semi conjunctions include: followed by, as well as, as much as,
along with, together with, no less than, including etc.
Examples
- Emeka as
well as his friends is intelligent.
- The
man's sons together with the man are notorious.
- The rich including the manager were there before I left.