Rule.

CONCORD OF SUBJECT AND PREDICATE

The subject and predicate (verb) must agree in number and person. Of whatever number and person the subject is, of the same number and person must the predicate (verb) be.

EXAMPLES

1. The hounds chase the hare.'

The subject 'hounds' is plural and of the 3rd person. The predicate 'chase' is plural and of the 3rd person. Hence there is the proper agreement between the subject and the predicate of the sentence.

2. 'Some birds eats insects.'

The subject 'birds' is plural and of the 3rd person. The predicate 'eats' is singular and of the 3rd person. The subject and predicate, therefore, agree in person, but not in number. The sentence should be written: 'Some birds eat

insects.'

EXERCISE II

1. Parse in the same way the subject and the predicate (verb) of each of the following sentences:

We continue our course. They discovers an island. He enters upon the scene. We enters upon the scene. You descried the eastern range. He give me a suitable present. We was all there together. The natives hit upon a mode of treatment. The two boys was fond of each other. Peacocks has long tails. The birds in the tree is singing. The children living at the end of this street goes to school. Nothing but dreary dykes occur to break the monotony of the landscape. The existence of these differences do not justify the quarrel. A sojourn of five years in the hospitals have strengthened these opinions. The loss of Wilkie and Chantrey seem not likely to be soon supplied. His knowledge of French and Italian literature were far beyond the common. Exactly opposite each other stands a church and a gin-palace.

2. Place a suitable subject to each of the following predicates Sings, have sung, fly, has flown, shines, fall, springs,

blow, sparkles, has spoken, have spoken, hadst slept, singest, hast sung, hearest, hast heard.

3. Place a predicate to each of the following subjects: Fire, horses, water, stars, winds, snow, the cat, men, we, thou, he, they, you, I.

4. Write ten sentences consisting of subject, predicate, and

object.

Rule.-Two or more singular subjects connected by 'and' require a plural verb, as:

(a){

'Peter, James, and John were the chief apostles.'
'Peter and James and John were the chief apostles.'

When there are more than two subjects the conjunction 'and' is sometimes omitted; even with the omission of 'and,' however, the verb must be plural, as:

(a) 'Health, youth, beauty are the gifts of nature.'

(b) 'Pride, conscience, party spirit were on the side of the Tories.'

The omission of the conjunction adds energy to the sentence. Note that:

Correct the following and give reasons for the changes you make :

John and I was present. Quietness and peace is to be had here. Scott and Dickens has written excellent novels. The duke and his servants has just departed. She and I has just arrived. Diligence and industry counts for more than talent. Where justice and reason governs, there peace and happiness flourishes. My sister and I am going to see the play. Faith and hope is in their prime. Honour, justice, religion was involved.

Rule.-Two or more singular subjects connected by 'or,' ' nor,'

' either,' 'neither,' require a singular verb, as :

'My sister or my brother has written to you.'

'Either my sister or my brother has written to you.'

(a)

'James, his sister, or his brother has written to you.'

'Either James, or his sister, or his brother has written to you.'
Note the repetition of 'or' in the last sentence.

(b) 'Neither James nor John is willing to go.'

(c)

'Neither wind, nor rain, nor anything else is able to cool our affections.'

Note the repetition of 'nor' in the last sentence.

Rule.-If one of the subjects connected by these conjunctions is plural the verb must be plural, and the plural subject should be placed next to the verb, as:

(a) Either John or his sisters have called to see you.'

(b) 'Neither John nor his sisters have called to see you.'

Rule. When two or more pronouns of different persons are used as subjects and connected by 'or' or 'nor,' the verb should agree with the pronoun next to it, as:

(a) 'Neither he nor I am at fault.'
(b) 'Neither I nor he is at fault.'
(c) 'Either you or he is at fault.'
(d) 'Either he or you are at fault.'

This arrangement has the sanction of good authority. It is, however, a very awkward one, and should be avoided except in cases in which the verb has the same form for the persons and numbers of the pronouns used, as :

When each of the pronouns requires a different form of the verb, the following construction should be adopted:

(a) 'He is not at fault, nor am I.'
(b) 'I am not at fault, nor is he.'
(c) 'Either you are at fault, or he is.'
(d) 'Either he is at fault, or you are.'

Rule. -Two singular nouns connected by 'as well as' require a singular verb, as:

(a) 'Cæsar, as well as Cicero, was a great man.'

(b) The tone of the act, as well as the substance of it, indicates the direction in which the tide was setting.'

'As well as indicates comparison, not combination.

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Rule. Subjects individualised by the distributive adjectives, 'each,' 'every,' 'either,' neither,' require a singular verb and a singular pronoun, as:

(a) Each of the men works in his own way.'

(b) Each of us knows best where his own difficulties lie.'

(c) 'Meantime the two brothers were each wrapped up in his own reflections.'

(d) Each party tries to serve those for whom it is interested; but neither party consents to grant favourable terms to its enemies.'

(e) Every man and every nation has its own characteristic vices.'

Every smith, every carpenter, every cutler was at constant work on the guns and blades assigned to him.'

'Many a' is joined to a singular subject, as:

(a) Many a flower is born to blush unseen.'

(b) 'So inviting was the conception that many an English adventurer was willing to try his hand to convert it into reality.'

The following constructions should be noted:

(a) Fort after fort was taken.'

(b) 'Noble after noble was hurried to the block.'

(c) Fitzgerald with his uncles was committed to the Tower.'

(d) 'The young lord with three of his uncles was on the spot by daybreak.'

(e) 'Much beef, brandy, and harness was found in the magazines' (= much of beef, etc.)

'None' means 'not one,' or 'no one,' and ought, therefore, to take a singular verb. Even the best writers, however, assign to it sometimes a singular and sometimes a plural verb.

EXAMPLES

(a) 'None but members of the Church of Rome were thought worthy of any mark of royal favour' (Macaulay).

(b) 'None of the modes by which a magistrate is appointed affords much security for his being wiser than any of his neighbours' (Macaulay).

(c) None of them was deficient in abilities, and four of them were men of high intellectual eminence' (Macaulay).

EXERCISE IV

Correct the following, and give reasons for the changes you make :

Neither you

The king

Each of Every sailor

Either my brother or my sister are willing to do the work. His peace or his fortune are at stake. Neither the lawyer nor the judge were able to understand the case. James, as well as John, have taken a good position in their class. nor I are to blame. Either I or you am to blame. or his ministers is to be present at the ceremony. them owe a debt of gratitude to their deliverer. and every soldier are expected to do their duty. Venus, as well as the earth, revolve round the sun. Neither of your plans satisfy me. Neither of the chief authorities appear to have participated in the general feeling. The gain to the French seem not to have been great. One of his papers were found in the box. Homer as well as Virgil were studied on the banks of the Rhine. Are neither of these your friend? Ten months' interest are due. Too great a variety of studies distract the mind. Fortress after fortress were taken. James with his sister were at the play. Concession after concession were made in this way. More than one principle has been contended for at one time (more than one at least two principles). Much butter, sugar, and salt were sold. The two great parties of the Christian world have each their own standard of truth. Each of these topics need a lecture for their development. Catholic communities have, since that time, become infidel and become Catholic again; but none have become Protestant.

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THE FUNCTION OF THE ADJECTIVE

Nouns, whatever position in the sentence they occupy, may have adjectives, or words equivalent to adjectives, attached to them.

Our draught horses draw your heavy loads.'

(d) 'Our black draught horses draw your heavy loads of wood.'

The subject and the object of (b), (c), and (d) are said to be