Subject–Verb Agreement
Subject–verb agreement means that the subject and verb must agree in number and person.
Rule 1: Singular Subject → Singular Verb
Examples:
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The boy plays cricket. |
| 2 | She reads a book. |
| 3 | Ahmed goes to school. |
| 4 | The cat sleeps on the sofa. |
Rule 2: Plural Subject → Plural Verb
Examples:
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The boys play cricket. |
| 2 | They read books. |
| 3 | Ahmed and Ali go to school. |
| 4 | The cats sleep on the sofa. |
Rule 3: Two Subjects Joined by and Usually Take a Plural Verb
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ali and Ahmed are friends. |
| 2 | The teacher and the students were present. |
| 3 | Sara and Ayesha play tennis. |
| 4 | My brother and sister live in Lahore. |
Rule 4: Each, Every, Everyone, Everybody, Someone, Somebody and Nobody Take a Singular Verb
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | Everyone is ready. |
| 2 | Each student has a book. |
| 3 | Everybody enjoys the party. |
| 4 | Someone is knocking at the door. |
Rule 5: With or / nor, the Verb Generally Agrees with the Subject Nearest to It
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | Either Ali or his friends are coming. |
| 2 | Either the students or the teacher is responsible. |
| 3 | Neither the teacher nor the students are ready. |
| 4 | Neither the students nor the teacher is absent. |
| 5 | Neither the teacher nor the student is ready. |
Note: The rule is the same: look at the nearest subject. If it is singular, use a singular verb; if it is plural, use a plural verb.
Rule 6: Uncountable Nouns Usually Take a Singular Verb
| No. | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The information is useful. |
| 2 | The furniture is expensive. |
| 3 | The water is cold. |
| 4 | The news is shocking. |
Gender of Nouns
Gender of a noun tells us whether a noun refers to a male, female, either male or female, or something without biological sex.
There are four kinds of gender:
A. Masculine Gender
A noun that refers to a male is called a masculine-gender noun.
| Masculine Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| man | The man is working. |
| king | The king addressed his people. |
| boy | The boy is playing. |
| uncle | My uncle lives in Karachi. |
More examples: father, brother, son, husband, prince, actor, lion, bull.
B. Feminine Gender
A noun that refers to a female is called a feminine-gender noun.
| Feminine Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| woman | The woman is a doctor. |
| queen | The queen addressed her people. |
| girl | The girl is reading. |
| aunt | My aunt lives in Lahore. |
More examples: mother, sister, daughter, wife, princess, actress, lioness, cow.
C. Common Gender
A noun that can refer to either a male or a female is called a common-gender noun.
| Common Gender Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| teacher | The teacher entered the classroom. |
| student | The student answered the question. |
| doctor | The doctor examined the patient. |
| friend | My friend helped me. |
More examples: child, parent, cousin, neighbour, player, leader, singer, writer.
D. Neuter Gender
A noun that refers to a non-living thing or something without biological sex is called a neuter-gender noun.
| Neuter Noun | Example |
|---|---|
| table | The table is wooden. |
| book | The book is interesting. |
| chair | The chair is broken. |
| computer | The computer is new. |
More examples: school, house, car, pen, door, tree, stone, bag.
Quick Comparison
| Gender | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Male | man, king, boy, father |
| Feminine | Female | woman, queen, girl, mother |
| Common | Male or female | teacher, student, doctor, friend |
| Neuter | Non-living / without sex | book, table, car, school |
