Unit 07: Agreement – Chapter 1: Grammar Practice – Starter TOEIC – Third Edition – Building TOEIC Test-taking Skills – Anne Taylor – Casey Malarcher

🎯Target:

⏳ Subject-verb agreement after expressions of time, distance, price, and weight
➗ Subject-verb agreement when the subject involves fractions or their equivalents
🔢 Number agreement in A as well as B, not only A but also B, (n)either A (n)or B
📝 Adjective/Determiner-noun agreement
🤝 Pronoun agreement in number

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement requires that the verb agrees in number (singular or plural) with the subject. Below are the specific rules:

A. Modifiers do not affect the number of the verb.
When a modifying phrase follows the subject, the number of the verb is determined by the main subject, not by the modifier.
Example:
The teacher, along with his students, wants to play soccer.
→ The main subject is “The teacher” (singular), so the verb “wants” is singular.
→ The modifier “along with his students” does not affect the verb.

B. Expressions of time, distance, price, and weight require a singular verb.
Expressions related to time, distance, price, and weight are treated as single units and take a singular verb.
Examples:
➡️ Ten dollars is too much for a lunch. → “Ten dollars” is treated as a unit of price, so the verb “is” is singular.
➡️ Two kilometers is a long distance to walk. → “Two kilometers” is treated as a unit of distance, so the verb “is” is singular.
➡️ Five years is a long time to wait for an answer. → “Five years” is treated as a single unit of time, so the verb “is” is singular.
➡️ Fifty kilograms is too heavy to lift alone. → “Fifty kilograms” is treated as a single unit of weight, so the verb “is” is singular.

C. For fractions or their equivalents, the noun in the “of-phrase” determines the number of the verb.
In sentences with fractions or words indicating parts (percent, majority, part, some, all), the number of the verb depends on the noun following “of.”
Examples:
➡️ Two-thirds of the land has been sold. → “The land” (uncountable noun, singular) determines the verb “has.”
➡️ Two-thirds of the books have been sold. → “The books” (countable noun, plural) determines the verb “have.”
➡️ Fifty percent of the cake has been eaten. → “The cake” (uncountable, singular) determines the verb “has.”
➡️ Fifty percent of the students have finished the exam. → “The students” (countable, plural) determines the verb “have.”
➡️ The majority of the population supports the new policy. → “The population” (singular collective noun) determines the verb “supports.”
➡️ The majority of the workers have agreed to the terms. → “The workers” (countable, plural) determines the verb “have.”
➡️ Part of the building is under construction. → “The building” (singular) determines the verb “is.”
➡️ Part of the books were donated to the library. → “The books” (plural) determines the verb “were.”
➡️ Some of the water has leaked out of the bottle. → “The water” (uncountable, singular) determines the verb “has.”
➡️ Some of the students are absent today. → “The students” (countable, plural) determines the verb “are.”
➡️ All of the furniture is new. → “The furniture” (uncountable, singular) determines the verb “is.”
➡️ All of the cars were parked outside. → “The cars” (plural) determines the verb “were.”

D. In sentences with either A or B, neither A nor B, the verb agrees with the closest noun or pronoun.
When using either A or B or neither A nor B, the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it (B).
Examples:
➡️ Either he or his pupils are going to help us. → “His pupils” (plural) is the closest noun, so the verb “are” is plural.
➡️ Neither the students nor the teacher is available. → “The teacher” (singular) is the closest noun, so the verb “is” is singular.

E. When the subject begins with not only A but (also) B, the number of the verb is determined by B (the closest noun).
Examples:
➡️ Not only the players but also the coach is responsible. → “The coach” (singular) determines the verb “is.”
➡️ Not only the manager but also the employees are working hard. → “The employees” (plural) determines the verb “are.”

F. In the structure “A as well as B”, the verb always agrees with A (the main subject), not B.
The phrase “as well as B” is an addition and does not affect the number of the verb.
Examples:
➡️ The teacher as well as his students is preparing for the exam. → The main subject “The teacher” is singular, so the verb “is” is singular.
➡️ The students as well as their teacher are working on the project. → The main subject “The students” is plural, so the verb “are” is plural.

2. Adjective/Determiner-Noun Agreement

Modifiers (adjectives or determiners) and the nouns they modify must agree in number.
📌 If the noun is singular, the adjective or determiner must also agree with the singular form.Example:
⏩ this/that book → “this/that” is used only with singular nouns.
⏩ every girl → “every” always takes a singular noun.
⏩ another boy → “another” is used with singular nouns (except in special cases, see section 3).
⏩ each car → “each” always takes a singular noun.
📌 Conversely, if the noun is plural, the adjective or determiner must match the plural form.
Example:
⏩ these/those books → “these/those” are used only with plural nouns.
⏩ all girls → “all” is compatible with plural nouns.
⏩ several boys → “several” always takes plural nouns.
⏩ most cars → “most” is commonly used with plural nouns.
📌 Special Notes: With “every” and “another”:
“Every” and “another” are typically followed by singular nouns, but when referring to time or distance, they may take plural nouns.
Examples:
⏩ every day/mile & every two days/miles → “Every” is used with singular nouns (day, mile) or plural nouns (two days, two miles) when referring to time or distance.
⏩ another week/mile & another two weeks/miles → “Another” is used with singular nouns (week, mile) or plural nouns (two weeks, two miles) in such cases.

3. Noun-Pronoun Agreement

Pronouns, including reflexive pronouns, must match their antecedent in number (singular or plural).
→ To determine the correct pronoun, always look at the antecedent and check whether it is singular or plural.
Using the wrong pronoun can lead to grammatical errors or confusion in meaning.
🔖 If the antecedent (the noun or pronoun being replaced) is singular, the pronoun must also be singular.
🔖 If the antecedent is plural, the pronoun must be plural as well.
Examples:
⏩ John’s family are all early risers; they (NOT it) rise at 6 a.m.
→ Here, “John’s family” refers to a group of people, which is plural in meaning, even though the word “family” itself is singular. Therefore, the correct pronoun is they (plural), not it (singular).
⏩ They advised her to take care of herself (NOT themselves).
→ The word “her” refers to a single individual, so the reflexive pronoun must be herself (singular), not themselves (plural).