Subject-Verb Concord: Core Rules

A foundational Kerala PSC practice quiz on Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord). Concord is the single most tested topic in the English section of PSC exams. This quiz establishes mastery over foundational rules: compound subjects expressing a single idea (e.g. bread and butter, slow and steady), distributive pronouns taking singular verbs (each, every, either, neither), 'one of the + plural noun + singular verb', collective nouns functioning as a single unit vs divided, plural-form singular nouns (mathematics, news, measles), and quantities of money or distance.

Study Scope

• Basic Concord: Singular subject takes singular verb; plural subject takes plural verb
• Compound Subjects with 'and': single unified concept (bread and butter is) vs two distinct items (time and tide wait)
• Distributive Pronouns: Each of the boys has a pen; every student was present
• The 'One of the' Rule: One of my friends is an engineer
• Collective Nouns: The jury was unanimous (united) vs The jury were divided (split)
• Nouns Plural in Form but Singular in Meaning: Mathematics, Physics, News, Measles, Politics
• Single Quantities: Ten thousand rupees is a handsome amount; five kilometers is a short walk
• Book and Movie Titles: 'Gulliver's Travels' was written by Swift

Tested Competencies

• Select correct singular or plural verb forms according to the true grammatical subject
• Avoid the error of proximity (getting confused by intervening plural nouns)
• Distinguish between unified and divided collective noun contexts