SUBJECT – VERB AGREEMENT
We know that sentence has two main parts:
Subject and
the predicate.
The subject has close relation with what is being said in the
predicate. The form of the predicting
verb depends on whether the subject is singular or plural in number. It also
depends on whether the subject is in the first, second, or third person.
This selection of the verb to match the nature of the
subject is known as agreement. Thus, in a sentence verb must agree with its
subject in number and person.
ଗୋଟିଏ ବାକ୍ୟରେ କର୍ତ୍ତାର
ବଚନ (ଏକବଚନ ବା ବହୁବଚନ ) ଓ ପୁରୁଷ (ପ୍ରଥମ, ଦ୍ୱିତିୟ,ତୃତୀୟ) ଅନୁଯାୟୀ କ୍ରିୟା ଚୟନ କରାଯାଇଥାଏ | କର୍ତ୍ତା
ଓ କ୍ରିୟାର ଏହି ସମ୍ପର୍କ ବା ସମ୍ବନ୍ଧକୁ agreement (ସହମତି)
କୁହାଯାଏ |
Study the following
sentences:
(a)1.I am a doctor.
2.He is a patient.
3.She was a nurse.
4.Bulu has a car.
In sentence 1-4 the
subject I, he\she and Bulu are singular.
The verbs am, is ,
was, has are also singular.
Thus, a singular
subject takes a singular verb
କର୍ତ୍ତା ଏକବଚନ
ହୋଇଥିଲେ କ୍ରିୟା ମଧ୍ୟ ଏକବଚନ ହୁଏ |
5.We are boys.
6.They are players.
7.Those women were
teachers.
8.These girls have
skipping ropes.
In sentence 5-8 the
subject we, they, those women, these girl are plural and the verb are, were,
have are also in plural from.
Thus, plural
subject take plural verb.
କର୍ତ୍ତା ବହୁବଚନ ହୋଇଥିଲେ କ୍ରିୟା ମଧ୍ୟ ବହୁବଚନ ହୁଏ |
(b)When the subject changes in number and person, the
verb changes too and agree with the subject.
9.Debu and Shibu are friends.
10.Teachers and student were playing.
11.You, he and I have new books.
12.June, July and August are rainy mother.
ଦୁଇ ବା ତତୋଧିକ ବିଶେଷ୍ୟ କିମ୍ବା ସର୍ବନାମ ପଦ and ଦ୍ୱାରା ଯୁକ୍ତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ
ସାଧାରଣତ୍ଃ କ୍ରିୟା ପଦଟି ବହୁବଚନ ହୋଇହାଏ |
(ii)(a)When a sentence beings with there, the verb
agrees with the real subject that comes after the verb.
13.There is \was a big tree here.
The verb is \was agrees with the real subject a big
tree not with there.
14.There are \were big trees here.
The verbs are \were agree with the real subject big
trees not with there.
15.There are fifty student in the class.
ବାକ୍ୟ ପ୍ରାରମ୍ଭରେ there ବ୍ୟବହୃତ ହୋଇଥିଲେ verb
ପରେ ଥିବା କର୍ତ୍ତା
ଅନୁଯାୟୀ କ୍ରିୟା ଏକବଚନ ବା ବହୁବଚନ ହୋଇଥାଏ |
(b)When the sentence begins with it to indicate time,
distance or weather, the verb is always singular.
16.It is\ was 4 o’clock.
17.It is five Kilometres to the bus stop.
18.It is\was raining heavily.
ବାକ୍ୟଟି It ରେ ଅରମ୍ଭ ହୋଇ ସମୟ, ଦୂରତ୍ୱ ବା ସୂଚନା ଦେଉଥିଲେ କ୍ରିୟାପଦଟି
ସର୍ବଦା singular ହୋଇଥାଏ |
(iii)(a)19.Bread and butter is my favourite breakfast.
In sentence 19 and join two noun (bread and butter).
But the verb (is) is singular because we normally take bread and butter
together. We don’t eat them separately. So bread and butter reefer to a single
item of food and is singular.
Bread and butter ଏକ ସଙ୍ଗରେ ଖିଆଯାଉଥିବାରୁ
ଏହାକୁ single item of food ହିସାବରେ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରାଯାଏ
ଏବଂ verb ଟି singular ହୋଇଥାଏ |
20.Rice and dal is our main food.
21.Slow and steady wins the race.
(a man being slow and steady)
22.Truth and honesty is the best policy.
23.The scholar and poet is dead.
(the scholar and poet is the same person)
24.The poet and philosopher is alive.
25.The accountant and cashier is absent today. (same
person)
26.The vice-president and Chairman of Rajya Sabha has give his consent to the Bill.(same person)
In sentence 20-26 though and joins two nouns, the verb
singular because they refer to one man. When two or more nouns represent a
compound name of one thing or one person, the compound name is thought to be
singular and takes a singular verb.
And ଦ୍ୱାରା ଯୋଗ କରାଯାଇଥିବା ଦୁଇ କିମ୍ବା ତତୋଧିକ ବୁଇଶେଷ୍ୟ ପଦ
ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବା ଗୋଟିଏ ବସ୍ତୁକୁ ସୂଚାଉଥିଲେ ତାହା singular ବୋଲି ଧିରାଯାଏ କ୍ରିୟା
ପଦଗୁଡିକ ମଧ୍ୟ singular ହୋଇଥାଏ |
(b)When they refer to different things or persons, the
verbs become plural.
27.Fish and meat are rice food. (Fish and meat refer
to different items of food and usually they are not taken together)
28.Time and tide wait for no man.
(Time and tide suggest two different ideas)
29.The poet and the philosopher are dead.(different
person)
30.The accountant and the cashier are absent today.
(different persons having different portfolios)
ଯେତେବେଳେ compound name ଟି ଭିନ୍ନ ଭିନ୍ନ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି
ବା ବସ୍ତୁକୁ ସୂଚାଉଥାଏ, ସେତେବେଳେ plural verb ବ୍ୟବହାର କରାଯାଏ |
(iv)When plural subject refers to the amount of money,
distance, time, length and stand for a single unit or quantity, they are considered as singular and take a singular verb.
31.Ten thousand rupees is not a bad salary. (amount of
money)
32.Two kilos of rice costs $ 40.00. (unite of weight)
33.Fifty days is a long vacation. (unit of time)
34.Twenty kilometres is a long distance for me to
walk. (unite of distance)
ଦୂରତା, ଉଜନ, ଉଚ୍ଚତା, ସମୟ ବା ସମୟର ପରିମାଣସୂଚାଉଥିଲେ, ସେଗୁଡିକ singular
noun ବୋଲି ଧରାଯାଏ ଏବଂ
singular verb ବ୍ୟବହର କରଯାଏ |
(v)In mathematical statements we generally use is, but
are is also sued by som.
36.Two and two make (s) four.
Or, Two and two make (are) four.
Or, Two plus two is four.
Four times two is eight.
Ten minus three is seven.
The square root of nine is three.
ଗାଣିତକ ତଥ୍ୟ ପ୍ରକାଶ କରିବାପାଇଁ ସାଦାରଣତଃ singular verb
ବ୍ୟବହାର କରାଯାଏ; କିନ୍ତୁ
ଅନ୍ୟ କେତେକ plural verb ମଦ୍ୟ ବ୍ୟବହାର କରିଥାଆନ୍ତି |
(vi)Some collective nouns such as a family, committee,
government take plural verbs when they refer to individual members separately.
They can take a singular verb when they mean a group as a single body.
37.(a)My family have gone to the cinema.
(=Some of the members of the family, not all)
(b)My family consists of ten members.
(=all the member of the family or family as a whole)
38.(a)The committee has challenged the appointment.
(some individual members of the committee)
(b)The committee has decided to build a meeting hall.
(all the member of the committee) (as a single body)
39.(a)The government have increased the bus-fare.
(b)The government has accepted the proposal.
(as a single body)
କେତେକ collective noun ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ସମଷ୍ଟି ବା ସମୂହକୁ (whole
body as a group) ସୂଚାଉଥିଲେ Singular verb ବ୍ୟବହାର କରାଯାଏ | କିନ୍ତୁ
ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିମାନଙ୍କୁ ଅଲଗା ବା ଭିନ୍ନ ଭିନ୍ନ ସୂଚଉଥିଲେ plural verb ବ୍ୟବହୃତ ହୁଏ |
Some such nouns are:
Army
community council flock herd jury
Audience
crowd enemy government majority
public
Class company family group military team
(vii)Some uncount nouns ending in s look plural. But
they are singular and take a singular verb. They are:
Athletic
draughts mathematics
news rickets wages
Billiards economics
measles physics shingles electronics
Cards
herps mumps politics statistics innings
40. Mathematics is an interesting subject.
41. Physics is my liking subject.
42. Bad news travels fast.
43. Measles is an infectious disease.
44.Athletic \Gymnastics makes the muscles stronger.
45.The wages of sin is death.
କେତେକ uncount noun s ରେ ଶେଷ ହୋଇ ବହୁବଚନ ବୋଲି
ଜଣାହୁଏ | କିନ୍ତୁ ଗୁଡିକ singular ଏବଂ singular
verb ସହିତ ବ୍ୟବହୃତ
ହୁଅନ୍ତି |
(viii)Some noun such as people, police, cattle, folk, poultry,
gentry though look singular, they are always are plural and take a plural verb.
46.People have on time to enjoy the beauty of nature
around them.
47. Police protect the life and property of the people.
48. The cattle are grazing in the field.
49.Village folk are simple and innocent.
50.The poultry has been fed.
46-50 ବାକ୍ୟଗୁଡିକରେ କର୍ତ୍ତା singular ଜଣାପଡୁଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେଗୁଡିକ
ସବୁବେଳେ plural ଏବଂ plural verb ସହିତ ବ୍ୟବହୃତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି |
(ix)Some count nouns which consist of two parts are
plural and take plural verbs.
Binoculars
glasses pantaloons scales
spectacles
Compasses
jeans pants shocks scissors
Divide
forceps pincers shorts trousers
51.These scissors are sharp.
52.His trousers
are blue.
53.Jeans last long.
54.My glasses \ spectacles are new.
When we use the phrase a pair of, it takes a singular
verb.
55.This pair of scissors belongs to me.
56.A pair of trousers costs $ 500.00.
51-54 ବାକ୍ୟଗୁଡିକ ରେ Noun ଗୁଡିକ ଦୁଇଟି ଅଂଶ ବା
ଭାଗରେ ଗଠିତ ହୋଇଥିବାରୁ, ସେଗୁଡିକ plural | ତଣୁ plural
verb ସହିତ ବ୍ୟବହୃତ
ହୁଅନ୍ତି | କିନ୍ତୁ a pair of ବ୍ୟବହାର କରାଗଲେ singular verb
କରାଯାଏ |
(x) The following uncount are singular and take
singular verbs:
Beauty
honesty knowledge money scenery
weather
Food information luggage poetry stationery wealth
Furniture
jewellery machinery progress traffic work