Important Points in English Language exams - 2
POINT NO. 9: Plural verbs are required for many nouns that have no singular form, such as proceeds, goods, ashes, remains, credentials, premises, etc.
The proceeds of the magic show are to be given to the hind for soldiers� welfare.
The goods are being dispatched today by goods train.
Collective Nouns A collective noun is a word that represents a group of persons, animals or things, e.g. audience, committee, company, council, arnz police, society board, department, cabinet etc. The following Point No. . s govern the form of verb to be used with a collective noun:
POINT NO.10: When the group acts as a unit, the verb should be singular.
The committee has agreed to submit its report on Friday.
The Board of Directors meets once in a month.
The firm is one of the most reputed in the country.
The majority has made its decision.
POINT NO .11: When the members of the group are thought of as acting separately, the verb should be plural.
The teams are arguing over who should be the captain.
The committee were not in agreement on the action to be taken.
The audience were cheering and laughing; even crying.
POINT NO.12: Company names may be either singular or plural, according to their meaning. The plural form emphasizes the individual personnel making up the company.
Mudru and Corporation have retained the goodwill of their customers.
The Oil Corporation is located at Nariman Point, Mumbai.
POINT NO.13:When nouns expressing periods of time, amounts of money, or quantities are considered as a single unit, singular verbs are used.
Ten rupees seems too much for the job.
Three months is too long a time to wait.
The number of board members is very small.
That Rs 1.00,000 was an inheritance from my father.
Yes, 5 metres is ample for a suit.
POINT NO. 14: After such expressions as one-half of two-thirds of a part of a majority of
(a) use a singular verb if a singular noun follows the of
Apan of the office is closed.
Two-thirds of the mailing list has been typed.
A majority of 3500 indicates his popularity in the constituency.
(b) use a plural verb when a plural noun follows the of
Pan of the walls are to be painted.
Two-tenth of our workers live in the suburbs.
The majority of our staff members live in villages.
POINT NO.15: The expression the number has a singular meaning and requires a singular verb, whereas the expression a number has a plural meaning and takes a plural verb.
The number of board members is very small.
A number of board members were absent.
The number of orders still to be executed is estimated at nearly a hundred.
A number of our staff are going on leave.
POINT NO.16: In sentences containing the words one of the verb is chosen as follows:
(a) In simple form one of or one of the, a singular verb is used.
One of the reasons 1kw his demotion is Ins carelessness.
One of the pens is missing from my desk.
(b) The sentences containing phrases one of those who or one of the things that a plural verb is required. He is one of those managers who fawner increasing the staff.
Here, favour agrees with those. In the phrase one of those who, those is the plural object of the preposition of In the subordinate clause who favour the relative pronoun who is the subject and must agree with its antecedent those.
Mr Venna is one of our officers who are accompanying me.
He is one of our employees who are always alert.
However, when only precedes one of/one of those, a singular verb is used.
Ramesh is the only one of our employees who is always alert.
Mr Verma is the only one of our officers who is accompanying me.
