The Rules of Concord: A Guide for Students
The English language has a variety of rules that govern its use. These rules are known as the “rules of concord.” Concord is an important aspect of English grammar and is used to ensure that a sentence is grammatically correct. The rules of concord are not always easy to remember, but they are essential for speaking and writing correctly. This guide by mymediajourney will explain the basics of concord and how to use it correctly in your own writing.
As a student, you will be expected to know the rules of concord. Concord is the grammatical agreement between parts of speech in a sentence. This guide will explain the basics of concord so that you can avoid making mistakes in your writing.
There are three main rules of concord:
- A singular subject must agree with a singular verb.
- A plural subject must agree with a plural verb.
- All titles are considered singular, so you must choose a singular verb.
The Pseudo Conjunction ‘AND’
The word ‘and‘ is known as a pseudo conjunction because it is not a true conjunction. A true conjunction joins two complete clauses, but ‘and‘ only joins two words or phrases. This means that ‘and‘ does not affect concord.
For example:
- The boy and the girl are in the park. (Singular subject, plural verb)
- The boys and the girls are in the park. (Plural subject, plural verb)
Quasi/Pseudo Coordinators
There are some words that are sometimes considered coordinators and sometimes considered subordinators. This means that they can join two clauses, but they can also introduce a subordinate clause. These words are ‘as‘, ‘since‘, ‘because‘, ‘before‘, and ‘after‘.
For example:
- As the sun was setting, the sky turned red. (Coordinating ‘as’, so concord is not affected)
- Since I arrived late, I missed the start of the movie. (Subordinating ‘since’, so the verb must agree with the subject of the main clause)
Singular Nouns with Plural Forms
Some singular nouns have plural forms. This means that they can be used with either a singular or plural verb, depending on how they are used in the sentence.
For example:
- The news is on at six o’clock. (Singular verb, referring to the news as a whole)
- The news are on at six o’clock. (Plural verb, referring to individual news stories)
Notional Concord
Notional concord is when the verb agrees with the noun that is most important in the sentence, even if that noun is not the subject.
For example:
- All of the students in the class are studying for the exam. (The noun ‘students’ is more important than the noun ‘class’, so the verb is plural)
- Most of the furniture in the house is new. (The noun ‘furniture’ is more important than the noun ‘house’, so the verb is singular)
Proximity Concord
Proximity concord is when the verb agrees with the noun that is closest to it.
For example:
- The boy in the green shirt is taller than the girl in the red shirt. (The verb ‘is’ is closer to ‘boy’ than ‘girl’, so it agrees with ‘boy)
- The boys in the green shirts are taller than the girls in the red shirts. (The verb ‘are’ is closer to ‘boys’ than ‘girls’, so it agrees with ‘boys)
Intervening Words and Phrases
If there is a word or phrase between the subject and the verb, concord is not affected.
For example:
- The man with the big nose is here. (Singular verb, ‘man’ is the subject)
- The men with the big noses are here. (Plural verb, ‘men’ is the subject)
Indefinite Pronouns
Some indefinite pronouns, such as ‘everyone‘, ‘somebody‘, and ‘nobody‘, are always singular. Others, such as ‘several‘, ‘few‘, and ‘many‘, can be either singular or plural, depending on how they are used in the sentence.
For example:
- Everybody is here. (Singular verb, ‘everybody’ is the subject)
- Several people are here. (Plural verb, ‘several’ is used to mean ‘more than one’, so the verb is plural)
Now that you know the basics of concord, you will be able to avoid making mistakes in your writing.
The Rules of Concord is an essential guide for all students. It provides a clear and concise overview of the rules of grammar, punctuation, and syntax. The guide also includes a section on how to avoid common mistakes when writing essays and papers. Whether you are a student or a teacher, The Rules of Concord is a valuable resource that will help you improve your writing skills
Originally posted 2023-03-19 23:34:15.