2019-2020 – English: Grammar and Proficiency – A. Gagiano
Sentence revision
Homework lookback: Singular or plural subjects and verbs - the quiz
1) Have (to have) you seen my glasses? I thought I left them (personal pronoun) on the table.
Glasses is a 'pair' noun meaning that it is always considered plural. Its pronoun is 'they' or 'them' and
its verb is plural, in this case 'have'.
2) Apparently, the blind hear (to hear) more clearly than people with sight.
‘The blind' is a collective noun made from an adjective. It represents all blind people as a group
(they), and so uses a plural verb.
3) Mathematics confuses (to confuse) me no end, and made (to make) me so angry when I was at
school!
Mathematics, despite having an 's', is an uncountable noun (it), so it takes a singular verb. In the
second clause, the past simple must be used because the time is in the past. A past simple affirmative
verb does not show a difference for singular or plural.
4) The company's new European headquarters has (to have) been built far outside the city. This is
unusual, because all their other existing headquarters were (to be) built in the centre of the
cities.
Headquarters is a noun which can be singular or plural without changing form. Look at the context of
the sentences. The first is singular, the second is plural. If it is seen as a whole, it requires a SG verb.
5) Wow! I love your aquarium! The fishes (fish or fishes) are (is or are) so different from one
another!
The words in the sentence say 'so different from one another' - this implies a variety of types or
species. Because this also refers to many types, it requires a plural verb.
6) Unfortunately, tigers are dying out. The species stands (to stand) on the brink of extinction. Many
other species find (to find) themselves in a similar situation.
Species can be both singular and plural. The first sentence 'The species' refers to 'the tiger' - it is
singular. The second use 'Many other species' is plural.
7) Gymnastics has (to have) never helped me have much of a social life. I have to practise every day
so I don't have time for friends.
Gymnastics, despite having an 's', is an uncountable noun so it requires a singular verb.
8) Trust me when I say, politics will be (to be – future form) the end of the world.
Politics can be a singular or plural noun (in this case it is singular). However, this sentence is future
simple, and uses 'will'. 'Will' never changes its form, regardless of the type of noun. It's important to
remember that the subject noun affects the verb, but other things - such as the tense - affect the
verb too, so be careful.
9) 20% of the gasses we breathe are oxygen.
This sentence is correct. The verb always agrees with the noun which follows ‘of’ – in this case
‘gasses’.
10) Nobody knows how I feel. He just can’t understand me.
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