Sentence correction rules BY
Mujtaba
1. A compound subject or two or more than two
singular subjects joined by and generally takes
a plural verb: as_
He and I have been working.
four and four make eight.
Are not your sister and brother ill?
Wealth and happiness are all Ravi wants.
Bed and table were both very costly.
Rice and wheat, purchased a week before, were
both rotten.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 2, When several singular subjects represent the same
person or thing joined by and , or when they form
one collective idea, a singular verb is used.
• Rice and curry is his favorite dish.
• Truth and honesty is the best policy.
• Slow and steady wins the race.
• Bread and butter is our daily need.
• The designer and producer of the project has come.
• My teacher and my critic is here.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 3, When words are added to a singular subject by with,
along with, together with, in addition to, as well as,
except, besides, and not, and no less than, the verb is
used as per number and person with the first subject ;as-
• The ship, with all its passengers, was drowned.
• The letter, together with other documents was lost.
• He, along with his parents, is coming today.
• Ram, as well as Shyam, was laughing.
• No one, except a few students, was there.
• Satish, and not you, has passed.
• He, no less than his friends, is guilty.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 4, When words joined to a singular subject by ‘as well as’, in
addition to, with, the verb agrees in number and person with the
first one; as-
• He, as well as they, is ready to jump.
• My comrades, as well as I, are visiting Delhi.
• The principal, alongwith the all teachers has come.
• The pizza, as well as the cake tastes good.
• 5, When two or more nouns or pronouns in the singular are
connected by either-or, and neither-nor, or, nor, they take a
singular verb; as-
• Neither Ali nor his sister is to blame.
• Either the cat or the mouse has been killed.
• Neither Ahmed nor his brother is lying.
• Either the boy or the girl has come.
• Which is your favorite sports__ cricket or footbal
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 6, When one of the subjects joined by either-or
and neither- nor is plural, the verb must be
plural, and the plural subject should be placed
close to the verb;as-
• Either the farmer or his sons are reaping harvest.
• Neither Satish nor his sons were loyal to country.
• Neither the boy nor the girls have come.
• Either the child or the parents have to come.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 7, When the subjects joined by either-or and
neither-nor are of different persons, the verb
agrees with the nearest subject;as-
• Either he or you are guilty.
• Neither you nor I am to blame.
• Neither you nor he is willing to come.
• Neither he nor they are honest.
• Either they or I am mistaken.
• Neither she nor they are speaking the truth.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 8, The indefinite pronouns many a, each, each one,
every, everyone, everybody, anybody, nobody, either,
neither, and no one take singular verb;as-
• Many a flower is born to blush unseen.
• Each of them was glad.
• Everybody wants food.
• Everyone who saw his dead body was moved.
• Anybody with a will to work is welcome.
• Nobody is willing to help me.
• Neither of the statements is true.
• No one likes to be cirticised.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 09. Because and because of
Because is a conjunction. It is used to join two clauses and is
followed by a subject and verb.
• We couldn’t go out because it rained.
• I did it because he told me to do it.
Note that the ‘because clause’ can come before or after the main
clause.
• Because it was so hot, we went home. • We went home because it
was so hot.
Because of is a two-word preposition. It is used before a noun or a
pronoun.
• We couldn’t go out because of the rain.
• I did it because of him.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 10, Nouns qualified by each and every take singular
verb;as-
• Every man and woman on this earth has to die one day.
• Each solider and sailor is to march.
• 11, A single verb should be made to serve two
subjects , only when the form of verb is same for both
the subjects. So, in other case every subject is
followed by its own verb as per its form.
• Example:
• He is ten years old and you are twelve.
• I am drinking tea and he is drinking coffee.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 12, In expressions where the same singular
noun is joined by a preposition ( singular
noun+ preposition) the verb used is always
singular;as-
• Ship after ship is heading towards the shore.
• Letter after letter pinpoints the need for hard
work.
• Report after Report reveals mega corruption
in country.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 13, When clauses are introduced by the relative
pronouns who, whom, whose, which, or that,
the verb agrees with the antecedent of the
relative pronoun in person and number;as-
• He made a list of things that were required.
• I like a boy who shows intelligence.
• I like people who are honest.
• The book which is on the table is not mine.
• The books which you gave me were lying on the
table.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 14. Can, could, may, might, shall will, should, would, ought are
always followed by first form of the verb.
• He can win the match by playing his natural game.
• Pakistan could prosper if it introduced new economic policies.
• May I get into the class.
• You might be there at the time of emergency.
• I shall not follow his instructions.
• Pakistan will be at the top of the list of world developing
countries.
• Supreme court should take notice of mega corruption scandal.
• Pakistan would be a better place for tourists in 2019.
• NAB ought to take action against corrupt people.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 15, A number of: takes plural verb
A number of reforms are introduced to bring economic
prosperity.
16, The number of: takes singular verb.
The number of students is participating in speech
competition.
17. The phrases, with a view to and look forward to,
takes verb in ing form after their use.
He is working hard with a view to winning the match.
She looks forward to celebrating her birthday
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 18. when there are two subjects in a
sentence and they are not in the same
number then separate auxiliary verbs should
be used for each subject.
• Example:
• Two men were dead and one was alive.
• Eight shirts were torn and one was burnt.
• Four students have got first position and one
has got second position.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 19, if the subject is title , the name of book, a
clause, a quotation, or other group of words
explaining a single idea, the verb is singular; as:
• The tales from Shakespeare makes an interesting
reading.
• Sparks is a well known weekly.
• All men created equal is a truth.
• Allama Iqbal is well known as the poet of East
• Hard times has been written by Dickens.
• Pakistan is also called the land of pure.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 19b. One of is followed by a plural noun phrase.
Although, it is followed by singular verb.
• e.g One of my friends is an engineer
• One of my books was lost in the school
• 19c. For expressing negative idea , one negative word
is used . The use of two negatives to express a single
negative idea is wrong.
• e.g I don’t know nothing about him.
• I don’t know anything about him.
• I could not find him nowhere.
• I could not find him anywhere.
Sentence correction rules BY Mujtaba
• 20. Some nouns which are plural in form but singular in meaning ,
takes a singular verb;
• This news is not correct
• Economics is a difficult subject.
• Ethics deals with the problem of morality.
• Measles is a dangerous disease.
• The wages of sin is death.
• 21. There are several nouns , plural in form but singular in
meaning . The nearly always require singular verbs. Here is list of
such words:
• Acoustics, aesthetics, mumps, aeronautics, gallows , alms,
hydraulics, optics, analytics, physics, innings, mechanics, the united
nations, the united states, Wales, tactics, dynamics, economics,
summons, metaphysics.
