Slaganje subjekta i predikata- agreement between subject and verb -

Ako je subjekat u rečenici u jednini, predikat će imati formu singulara. Ako je subjekat imenica u množini, predikat će biti u množini:

She lives in China. / They live in China.

► Međutim, usklađivanje predikata u odnosu na subjekat u jednini može da se odredi i na osnovu konteksta subjekta. Grupi ovih imenica pripadaju: army, association, audience, generation, committee, community, company, family, electorate, department, public, university, group, team, school, team, press, orchestra, opposition, jury etc.

Npr. The Government elect the president. ( u ovom slučaju, reč government se tretira kao imenica u množini zbog glagola koji kontekstualno navodi na delovanje više jedinki unutar jedne celine).

Ali: The Goverment was established in 1835. (imenica government se tumači kao jedan korpus, tako da predikat ima formu jednine)

Kada je u pitanju složeni subjekat, predikat se usklađuje prema imenici:

Many leading members of the opposition party have criticised the agreement.

The only excuse that he gave for his action was that he was tired. (složeni subjekat + složeni predikat)

U slučajevima kada je subjekat sintagma (grupa reči sa usaglašenim, jedinstvenim kontekstom), predikat se usklađuje prema kontekstu cele sintagme:

To keep the young people in prison is inhuman.

Ako subjekat započinje upitnom zamenicom, predikat će se usklađivati prema imenici koja sledi iza predikata:

What is needed are additional resources

Kada se imenice koje se završavaju na –s tretiraju kao jedan korpus, predikat će biti u jednini:

At this time of the year the Netherlands is one hour ahead of the UK.

Sa any, each, either of, neither of, none of i imenice u množini, predikat može da ima oznaku jednine ili množine, ali književni engleski jezik preferira upotrebu predikata u jednini (mada kontekst uvek igra ključnu ulogu):

I don't think any of them knows where the money is hidden.

Sa a majority of, a lot of, a plenty of, all of, a number of, some of i imenicom u množini, predikat će biti u množini, dok će sa the number of i imenicom u množini, predikat stajati u jednini (kontekst the number uslovljava upotrebu predikata u jednini):

A number of refugees have been turned back at the border. The number of books in the library has risen to over the five million.

Nakon one of i imenice u množini, predikat je u jednini.

One of the reasons I tooktthe job was that I could work from home.

Sa any of, none of, the majority of, a lot of, a plenty of, all (of), some (of), i nebrojivom imenicom koja tretira kao celina, predikat će biti u jednini:

All the furniture was destroyed in the fire.

Sa every, each, i imenicom u jednini, ili udruženim subjektom, predikat će biti u jednini:

Each child has drawn a picture.

Every boy and girl takes part in the activity.(udruženi subjekat)

Sa everybody, everything, everyone i rečima koje počinju sa any-, some-, no-, predikat će biti u jednini.

Practically everyone thinks that John should be given the job.

Practically everybody think that John should be the winner. ►Kontekst imenice everybody ponekad nalaže upotrebu predikata u množini.

Kada se subjekat sastoji od dva ili više segmenata koji su povezani sa either...or..., neither...nor...., predikat će biti u jednini, ako je poslednji segment subjekta u jednini, a ukoliko je poslednji segment u množini, predikat će biti u množini:

Either the situation or the cinema is a good place to meet. The President or his representatives are to attend the meeting.

Sa uvodnom frazom there is/are i imenicom u jednini ili nebrojivom imenicom, predikat će biti u jednini, a sa imenicom u množini, predikat će stajati u množini.

Over the past years there have been improvements in car safety.

Neke imenice su obično u množini, i prema tome, podrazumevaju upotrebu predikata u množini:

The company's earnings have increased for the last five years.

Neke imenice koje se završavaju nastavkom –s, a imaju kontekst jednine, biće praćene predikatom u jednini:

The news from the Middle East seems very encouriging.

►Pojedine imenice koje uobičajeno stoje u množini, a predstavljaju nazive pojedinih oblasti poput politics, statistics, mathematics, phonetics, linguistics etc., praćene su predikatom u jednini:

Statistics is very popular at our university.

► Ali, kontekst ponekad nalaže da ovakve imenice budu praćene predikatom u množini:

Statistics are able to prove anything that you mentioned before.

Iako imenice data, media prati predikat u jednini (jednina datum, medium), u službenoj akademskoj komunikaciji, preferira se upotreba predikata u množini:

All the data is available for public inspection. / All the data are available for public inspection.

►Ali, uz imenice criteria, phenomena (jednina: criterium, phenomenon), predikat će uvek biti u množini:

I agree that the criteria are not of equal importance.

Sa frazama koje definišu razmere, količinu, predikat će biti u jednini:

Only three metres separates the runners in the first and second places.

Uz procentualne vrednosti, predikat će biti u jednini ukoliko se procentualna procena odnosi na imenicu u jednini ili nebrojivu imenicu, ili u množini ukoliko se procentualna procena odnosi na imenicu u množini:

An inflation rate of only 2 per cent makes a big difference to customers when buy a product.

I would say that about 50 per cent of the houses need repairs.

► Ali, ukoliko se imenica u rečenici kontekstualno posmatra kao celina ili segmentirano, predikat može da stoji u jednini ili množini:

Some 80 per cent of the electorate is / are expected to vote.

I Underline the correct verb form:

1. The furniture in your house is / are new.2. All the analyses was / were done in a short time.3. The news is / are very pleasant.

II Put the words from brackets into the context of phrases and translate.

1. The ___________ council was very important institution in our country. (workers)

2. I do not now her _________ friends. (brother-in-law)3. They gave me all ___________ (datum) about your sister.4. We completed ten ___________ (diagnosis).

III Fill in with appropriate auxiliary verb.

1. The furniture _______ upstairs. 2. His sheep _________ all around. 3. The people of our country _________ very unsatisfied. IV Put the following nouns in plural. brother-in-law, Frenchman, step-brother.

V Fill in the appropriate noun and verb paying special attention on using singular or plural.

research, his early paintings, the food, my children, Dr Jones' acquaintance, other museums, victims, medicines

come, know, remain, remember, to be, charge, rise, last

1. I'll be surprised if any of ____________ _________ to my birthday.2. I don't think any of _____________ _______ particularly good. In fact, the restaurant is rather disappointing.3. You may still go into the National Museum for free, although a number of _______ in the capital __________ people for entry.4. Mainly because of the recent scares involving beef and chicken disease, the number of ___________ dramatically in the next five years. 5. The whole concert includes 20 short items from young musicians. Each of them _____________ about 5 minutes.

VII Make the necessary corrections to the underlined verbs if necessary.

1. Dr Jones's earnings have been kept guarded by his family.2. Bill Clinton's politics was inspired by John Kennedy.3. Some per cent of the milk bottles in the country was imported.4. Further information about the house is available from the owner.5. Ten kilometres are a long way to run if you're not fit.6. About 90 per cent of the concert audience were over 60 years old.7. People says the house is terrible.8. You don't need much sugar for this pudding; ten grams are enough.9. When the soldiers got lost into the jungle, their only means of survival were to eat bananas and grapes.