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Important Points in English Language exams - 3
POINT NO. 17: Certain collective nouns, though singular in form, are always used in the plural sense and take a plural verb. For example, gentry cattle, poultry alphabet, offspring etc.
These poultry are ready for sale.
There are twenty-six alphabets in English.
The cattle are grazing near the canal.
POINT NO. 18: Certain nouns are always used in singular and followed by singular verbs. These are not used in the plural sense and do not take on plural verbs. For example hair issue, advice, information, scenery, luggage, mischief bread, abuse, furniture, land, business, machinery, poetry etc.
Her hair has turned grey now.
The scenery of Kasauli is beautiful.
All the machinery is old.
I have sold all the furniture that was useless.
My luggage is tying at the bus stand.
Note: A plural sense is often expressed by using some other suitable word before the above nouns, For example:
He gave me many pieces of advice. (not advices)
I have brought manv items of furniture. (not furnitures)
They have purchased many plots of land. (not lands)
POINT NO. 19: The words each, ever either and neither, used as pronouns or as adjectives, are always singular and require singular verbs.
Each of them does have political ambitions.
Each employee is responsible for clearing his desk in the evening.
Neither of the boys is eligible for taking the examination.
Neither boy is eligible for selection.
Exception: If a parenthetical each follows a plural noun or pronoun, the verb should be plural.
The members each feel their responsibility.
They each have their own problems
Ten each of these books are required.
POINT NO. 20: All, any, more, most, some may be singular or plural depending on the meaning, and take verbs accordingly.
Some of the books seem too old.
Some of the food IS not good.
All the typing has been finished.
All the reports have been typed.
Most of the goods have been sold.
Most of the stock has been sold, but more of these shirts are due.
POINT NO. 21: The titles of books or magazines are considered singular and take singular verbs.
The Hindustan times still has wide circulation.
The Two Faces of Indira Gandhi� is a best seller.
POINT NO. 22:The following words and their compounds are always singular and require a singular verb.
body (anybody, everybody, nobody, somebody)
thing (anything, everything, nothing, something)
one (anyone. everyone, someone, no one)
Something is wrong with him these days
Everybody in the office has tickets.
Everyone is required to clear their dues.
Nobody knows the trouble I have seen.
No one is entitled to have his debts cancelled.
POINT NO.23: A relative pronoun (who, which, that) used as a subject takes a singular or plural verb to accord with its antecedent.
Measles is among the diseases that are curable.
This is the only one of the local papers that prints a weekly horoscope.
Troublesome Pronouns
Pronouns are words used in place of a noun. Hence, a pronoun should not be used to begin a sentence; a noun must first be used and then a pronoun should be used in place of it.
POINT NO. 24:Use of who, which and that
(a) Who and that are used when referring to persons, who being used when the individual person or the individuality of a group is implied and that when a class, type or species is implied.
He is the boy who understands Punjabi.
She is the kind of student that we want.
(b) After adjectives of superlative degree that is used
He is the wisest man that ever lived,
This is the best what we can do.
(c) After two antecedents, one of which is the name of a person and the other the name of some animal or thing, use that in place of who or which.
The lady and her pet dog that came yesterday have come again today.
(d) After such words as all, any, none, only, alone, nothing use that in place of which or who.
Man is the only animal that can think,
All that glitters is not gold.
(e) Which is used when referring to places, objects and animals.
Our Annual Report., which is long, is now ready for distribution.
