Question

What do you need to know about proximity concord apart from the rule?

Answer 1

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Rule 1

Subject and verb concord

When the subject in a sentence is singular, the verb should also be singular.

For example,

• She (singular subject) goes (singular verb), not: She go ( plural verb). Also, when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

• The girls (plural subject) go (plural verb), not The girls (plural subject) goes (Singular verb).

Rule 2

Subject and Object concord

When everybody or everyone is used, the object must be singular, not plural.

For example

• Everybody knows his or her name, not: Everybody knows their name.

Rule 3

Mandative subjunctive concord

When prayer, suggestion, wish, demand, recommendation, or resolution is used in a sentence, the verb that follows must be plural, whether the subject is singular or plural.

For example;

• It has been suggested that he go not goes away.
• The board has Recommend that the manager resign not resigns.
• I pray that God help me on my upcoming examination, not God helps.

Rule 4

The Principle of proximity

This principle states that when there is a list of nouns or pronouns at the level of the subject, it is the nearest noun or pronoun to the position of the verb that will determine the choice of the verb.

E.g

If James fails his examination, his teachers, his parents, his friends, or John ( ) to be blame.

The correct option to fill that blank space is, “is” not “are” because, at the subject level, we have his teachers, his friends, his parents and John ( four different people).

In order to choose the correct verb, we will need to choose the nearest subject to the gap as the subject, which is John.

• Note: what makes us consider the only one noun or pronoun used in this sentence is because of the use of “or.” However, if the conjunction used is “and,” all the nouns or pronouns used in the sentence will be considered as the subject. I’ll explain better when I get to the type of such concord.

Back to James.

But if the question comes in this manner, the answer will be different,

For example,

• If James fails his examination, his teachers, his parents, his friends, or I ( ) to be blame.

• The correct answer here is “am,” because the pronoun “I” is the nearest subject to the gap, so if “I” is the subject, the verb that goes with it, is “am.” – the 24 rules of concord.

Rule 5

Many – a concord

When many – a is used, the verb and the noun that follows must be Singular

E.g

• Many a candidate (not candidates) speaks ( not speak) bad English expressions.
• Many a girl (not girls) is (not are) here.

The actual meaning of statements 1 and 2 are many candidates and many girls.