Conjunctions connecting two or more homogeneous subjects
A plural verb-predicate is used in the following cases:
1. With homogeneous subjects connected by and.
Sun and airare necessary for life. Tom and Maryare my friends.
However, with structures where coordinated nouns refer to one thing or person a singular verb-predicate is used:
Bread and butter is not enough for breakfast. (one object is meant)
Bacon and eggsmakes a traditional English breakfast. (one dish is meant)
If the article is repeated, the reference is to two persons or objects, and a plural verb-predicate is used.
The bread and the butter are on the table. (two separate object are meant)
However, the article is repeated before each attribute only with countable nouns. Uncountables have no article.
In modern hotels hot and cold water are supplied in every room.
American and Dutch beer are both much lighter than British.
2. With homogeneous subjects connected by both... and:
Both the bread and the butterare fresh. Both the teacher and the studentshave come.
3. With homogeneous subjects connected by the conjunctions not only... but also, either... or, or, neither... nor the verb-predicate agrees with the nearest noun-subject (the so-called “proximity rule”):
Either my sister or my parentsare at home. Either my parents or my sisteris at home.
Neither you norI am right. Neither I nor youare right.
Not only my parents but also my brotherknows about it.
Not only my brother but also my parentsknow about it.
4. With homogeneous subjects connected by the conjunctionsas well as, rather than, as much as, more thanthe verb-predicate agrees with the first one.
My parents as well as my sisterare teachers. My sister as well as my parentsis a teacher.
The manager as well as/rather than/more than/as much as the members of the boardis responsible for the present situation.
Notional agreement
Notional agreement is to be found in the following cases:
1. In modern English agreement there may be a conflict between form and meaning. It refers first of all to subjects expressed by nouns of multitude, which may denote plurality being singular in form. In such cases the principle of grammatical agreement is not observed and there appears the so-callednotional agreement, when the choice of the number is based on the fact whether the group of beings is considered as one whole or, as a collection of individuals taken separately (as discrete ones).
Thus the nouns of multitude (band, board, crew, committee, crowd, company, clergy, cattle, family, gang, group, guard, gentry, infantry, jury, militia, police, poultry, team) may have both a plural verb-predicate and a singular one depending on what is meant - a single undivided body or a group of separate individuals:
A new governmenthas been formed.
The governmenthave asked me to go, so I am leaving now.
Howare your family? Our familyhas alwaysbeen a very happy one.
The policeis already informed. I don’t know what the policeare doing.
The jurydecides whether the accused is guilty or not.
While the jurywere out, some of the public went out for a breath of fresh air.
2. Subjects expressed by nouns denoting measure, weight, time, etc., have a singular verb-predicate when the statement is made about the whole amount, not about the discrete units:
Ten yearsis a long time. Another five minutesgoes by.
3. Notional agreement is also observed with subjects expressed by word-groups including nouns of quantity: a/the number of..., a/the majority of..., (a) part of..., the bulk of..., a variety of... . These admit of either a singular or a plural verb-predicate:
The number (количество) of pages in this book isn’t large.
It was Sunday and a number (многие) of people were walking about.
4. Subjects expressed by such invariable plural nouns as goods (товар, товары), contents (содержание, содержимое), riches (богатство, богатства), clothes (одежда), wages (зарплата), eaves (карниз крыши) have a plural verb:
His wages were only 15 shillings a week.
I asked her what the contents were about.
His clothes were shabby. The goods were delivered on time.
5. Subjects expressed by such invariable singular nouns as hair, money, gate, information (сведения), funeral (похороны), progress (успехи), advice have a singular verb-predicate. These are called “singularia tantum” “всегда единственное число», as they have no plural:
Her hairis beautiful. The moneyis mine. The gateis open.
6. Subjects expressed by invariable nouns ending in -s (“pluralia tantum” «всегда множественное число») and denoting an indivisible notion or thing have a singular verb-predicate : measles (корь), mumps (свинка), billiards, dominoes, linguistics, economics, news, headquarters (штаб), works (завод):
No newsis good news.
The new works thathas been built in our districtis very large.
Though nouns in-ics which are names of sciences and other abstract notions have a singular agreement when used in their abstract sense; they may have a plural verb-predicate when denoting qualities, practical applications, different activities, etc. (ethics – “moral rules”, gymnastics – “physical exercises”). Thus these nouns may be followed by either a singular or a plural verb:
Statisticsis a rather modern branch of mathematics. (a branch of science)
Statistics on this subject are available. collected (numbers, figures representing facts)
Tacticsis one of the subjects studied in military academies. (the art of arranging military forces for battle)
Your tacticsare obvious. Please, don’t insult my intelligence.(methods)
Politicsis a risky profession.(a profession)
Politicshave always interested me. What are your politics? (political affairs, political ideas)
Ceramicsis my hobby. ( the art of making bricks, pots, etc.)
Where he lives isn’t the provinces as far as ceramicsare concerned, it’s the metropolis. (articles produced in this way)
7. Subjects expressed by substantivized adjectives denoting groups of people (the blind, the dumb and deaf, the eminent, the mute, the old, the poor, the rich, etc.) always take the plural verb-predicate:
He did not look an important personage, but the eminent rarely do.
THE OBJECT
The object is a secondary part of the sentence which completes or restricts the meaning of a verb or sometimes an adjective, a word denoting state or a noun.
She has bought a car. I’m glad to see you.