7 Grammar

A collective noun is one that names more than 1 person, place, or thing. When the group is regarded as a unit, the singular verb is the appropriate choice. (See also , Plurals, Collective Nouns.)The couple has a practice in rural Montana. [Couple is considered a unit here and so takes the singular verb.] Twenty percent of her time is spent on administration. [Twenty percent is thought of as a unit, not as 20 individual units, and so takes the singular verb.] (See also , Units of Measure, Format, Style, and Punctuation, Subject-Verb Agreement.) The paramedic crew responds to these ...Less

When 2 words or 2 groups of words, usually joined by and or or, are the subject of the sentence, either the singular or plural verb form may be appropriate, depending on whether the words joined are singular or plural and on the connectors used.With and, a plural verb is usually correct.The nurse and the physician are discussing my case.A singular verb should be used if the 2 elements are thought of as a unit: Dilation and curettage was suggested.or refer to the same person or thing: The first author and principal investigator takes responsibility for the data analysis.With a ...Less

When every or many a is used before a word or series of words, use the singular verb form.Many a clinician does not understand statistics. (But, better yet: Many clinicians do not understand statistics.) Every issue profiles a leader in medicine. ...Less

Some nouns, by virtue of ending in a “plural” -s form, are mistakenly taken to be plurals even though they should be treated as singular and take a singular verb (eg, measles, mumps, mathematics, politics, genetics). (See , Plurals, False Singulars.) ...Less

A few plural nouns are used so often in the singular that they are often paired with a singular verb.The agenda has been set for our next meeting.Frequently treated erroneously in this way are the plurals bacteria, criteria, phenomena, and memoranda. The distinction between singular and plural, however, should be retained; when the singular is intended, use bacterium, criterion, phenomenon, and memorandum.Also, many now consider acceptable the use of data as a singular. In this usage, data is thought of as a collective noun and, when considered as a unit rather than as the individual items of data that compose ...Less

Plural nouns take plural verbs and singular nouns take singular verbs, even if a phrase ending in a plural noun follows a singular subject or if a phrase ending in a singular noun follows a plural subject.A review of all patients with grade 3 tumors was undertaken in the university hospital. [The subject in this sentence is review. Ignore all modifying prepositional phrases that follow a noun when determining verb agreement.]Sometimes the simplest solution is to rewrite it as 2 separate sentences:If the intervening phrase is introduced by with, together with, as well as, along with, in addition to, or ...Less

The number is singular and a number of is plural (see also , Collective Nouns).The number that responded was surprising. A number of respondents were concerned about adverse effects.The same is true for the total and a total of. ...Less

In clauses that follow one of those, the plural verb form is always correct.Dr Cotter is one of those researchers who prefer the library to the laboratory. ...

When -s or -es is added parenthetically to a word to express the possibility of a plural, the verb should be singular. However, in most instances it is preferable to avoid this construction and use the plural noun instead. ...Less

In elliptical constructions involving the verb (ie, the second verb is omitted because it is understood), if the number of the subject changes, the construction is incorrect. ...