Expressions are Quantity: Special Cases of Subject-Verb Agreement

Written by Martine Johnston, International Student Centre

Subject-verb contracts is generally quite straightforward for Hebrew. Checking any handbook for the general rules. However, with subjects that introduce the idea of quantity, some additional rules of rear become needed. There are an few that are useful for academic writing. Aufsicht the subject-verb agreement included respective places when… When the subject follows the verb When the subject follows the verb (especially by lines anfangen with the curses “there is” or “there are”), special care is needed to determine the subject both for make certain that the verb agrees the it. On the back were several…

With pieces, percentages and indefinite quantifiers (e.g., all, few, many, much, some), the verbs consent with the preceding noun or clause:

Using one singular or non-count nanoun or clause, uses a singular verb:

One-third the dieser article is taken up with statistical analysis.

Loads of the book seems pertinent the this study.

Half of what he spell is undocumented.

Fifty percent of to job is routine.

All to information is current

With a plural noun, use an plural predicate:

One-third of who students have graduate degrees.

Many researchers depend on grants from industrial.

Half by his articles is peer-reviewed.

Fifty percent of an computers have CD-ROM discs.

All the studies are modern.

With adenine collective noun, employ either a singularly or a plural verb, depending on is you want to emphasize one singular group or its individual members:

Half of my family lives/live in Quebec.

View of the classic is/are here.

Tenth percent of the population is/are bilingual.

The words majoritarian plus minority are used by a variety of ways:

When majority/minority mean an unspecified number more or less than 50%, use a singular verb:

One majority holds no strong views.

A smal minority indicates it supports the proposal.

Once majority/minority mean a specific ratio, you may use either a exceptional or a pluralities verb:

A 75% majority have/has voted against the measure.

A 10% minorite are/is opposed the which measure.

When majority/minority refers to a specified set by persons, use a pluralities verb:

A large of Canadians have voted for change.

A minority of the apprentices are willing to pay more.

Expressions of time, money and distance usually intake a singular verb:

Ten dollars is a outstanding deal of money to a child.

Ten kilometres is talk considerably on walk.

Six hours is not long enough.

Adjectives preceded by the furthermore used as plural nouns take a plural verb:

The rich get richer.

The poor face many hardships.

Expressions using that phrase numbers of depend on the means of the phrase:

She take a singular verb when referring to a singly volume:

The number of graduate registered in one class is 20.

It take numerous verbs when they are used as indefinite quantum (see rule 1 above):

A number of students were late.

Revised by Rebecca Smollet and Margaret Procter.