1)objects consisting of two parts: plural; or: according to the quantity meaning of the unitword 2)archives, arms, clothes, contents, eaves, fireworks, goods, minutes, morals, remains, stairs, suburbs, thanks, wages, shears: plural 3) whereabouts, dramatics: pl. & single. 4)-ings: plural(usu.) – clippings, diggings, surroundings, sweepings, filings, lodgings, earnings pl. & single – tidings 5) when a word’s plural form is same to its single form, notional concord works.: headquarters, barracks, means, series, species, works 6) “odds”- “机会，赔率”（pl.）; what’s the odds? 7) “remains”- “遗体”（pl.）; “遗迹、剩余物”（pl./sing.）
Problems of concord with words

Problems of concord with collective nouns as subject
1 Characteristics of collective noun: collective nouns are singular in form, but plural in meaning. 2 The choice between grammatical concord and notional concord is mostly dictated by usage.


Principle of grammatical concord
the rule that the verb must match its subject in number. e.g. Every girl comes on time.
Principle of notional concord

Guiding principles



Principle of grammatical concord Principle of notional concord Principle of proximity The practice of the principles is flexible, impacted by habits, styles and registers Grammatical concord is the basic principle, but when the subject is realized by a collective noun, a coordinate form or an expression of quantity, the other two principles will have to be considered.
Subject-verb Concord
⊕general principles ⊕application
concord
Subject-verb concord means the agreement between subject and predicate verb in number and person, but number rdinate S.


1 coordination with “and, both…and” 1)according to the principle of Notional Concord. Ham and eggs is a good breakfast. Brown bread and butter is usually eaten with smoked salmon. Pancakes and syrup is a tasty breakfast. Law and order means different things to people with different political opinions. Fishes and chips is getting very expensive. Cold cereal and milk is Dad’s favorite pick-me-up.
Application

Problems of concord with words Problems of concord with phrases


Problems of concord with clauses
using nouns ending in –s as S.

1. disease single(usu.): arthritis, bronchitis, rickets, mumps, diabetes,
phlebitis
2.
3. 4.
5.
both sing. and pl.: measles, rickets e.g. Measles/Rickets is/are a disease. game Single (usu.): darts, marbles, dominoes, skittles (指游戏用具中的个体时为复数) Pl.: cards subject: single meaning geography: single: name of country plural: archipelago, mountain chain, strait, waterfall others






The fishing and the hunting in Arizona were good that year. The secretary and treasurer is absent. The number and diversity of British newspaper is considerable. War and peace is a constant theme in history. War and peace are alternative between which men must constantly choose. Weep and wailing does nothing towards solving the problem.

Principle of proximity
agreement of the verb with a closely preceeding noun phrase in preference to agreement with the head of the noun phrase that functions as subject. e.g. Either my brothers or my father is coming. No one except his own supporters agree with him Neither Julia nor I am going.
Using collective n. as S.






1. plural: police, cattle, militia, poultry, vermin, Citizenry, clergy, elite, fashion, folk, force, gentry, kind, kindred, laity, like, manpower, military, nobility, pay, peasantry, posse, rabble, riff-raff, soldiery 2. uncountable n.: foliage, machinery, equipment, furniture, merchandise 3. plural & single: audience, committee, class, crew, family, government, public, council, team. The audience are listening to a Beethoven symphony. The government is doing its best to boost production.(26) The government have discussed the matter for a long time.(26) The government have asked the country to decide by a vote.(22) Be plural when emphasizing the member in it. Be single when emphasizing the whole group.
the rule that the verb can sometimes agree with the subject according to the quantity meaning rather than to the actual presence of the grammatical marker for that notion e.g. The government have asked the country to decide by a vote.