What is Concord?

S2-SA1-0122

Grade Level:

Class 2

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

Concord means agreement or harmony between things. In grammar, it refers to words in a sentence matching each other, especially in number (singular/plural) or gender. It ensures that sentences sound correct and make sense.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine you have one cricket bat, you say 'My bat is new.' If you have many bats, you say 'My bats are new.' You wouldn't say 'My bats is new' because 'bats' (plural) and 'is' (singular) don't agree. This agreement is concord.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's make sure the verb agrees with the subject in this sentence: 'The student ______ hard.' (Choose between 'study' and 'studies')

Step 1: Identify the subject of the sentence. The subject is 'The student'.
---Step 2: Determine if the subject is singular or plural. 'The student' is singular (only one student).
---Step 3: Look at the options for the verb. We have 'study' (plural verb form for 'they/we/you') and 'studies' (singular verb form for 'he/she/it').
---Step 4: Choose the verb form that agrees with the singular subject. The singular verb form is 'studies'.
---Answer: The student studies hard.

Why It Matters

Understanding concord is crucial for clear communication in all languages. It helps you write and speak correctly, which is important for journalists reporting news, lawyers drafting documents, and anyone writing emails or reports. Good concord makes your message understood perfectly.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Using a plural verb with a singular subject. For example, 'The team are playing well.' | CORRECTION: Use a singular verb with a singular subject. 'The team is playing well.' (Here, 'team' is considered a single unit.)

MISTAKE: Forgetting that 'every' or 'each' always take a singular verb. For example, 'Each of the boys have a new uniform.' | CORRECTION: 'Each of the boys has a new uniform.'

MISTAKE: Making the verb agree with a noun in a phrase, instead of the main subject. For example, 'The box of mangoes are heavy.' | CORRECTION: The main subject is 'box' (singular), not 'mangoes'. So, 'The box of mangoes is heavy.'

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Fill in the blank: 'My brother and sister ______ going to the market.' (is/are) | ANSWER: are

QUESTION: Choose the correct verb: 'Neither the principal nor the teachers ______ happy with the results.' (is/are) | ANSWER: are

QUESTION: Correct the sentence: 'One of the players were injured during the match.' | ANSWER: 'One of the players was injured during the match.'

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which sentence shows correct subject-verb concord?

The news are very interesting.

My pair of scissors is missing.

Many a student have failed.

Both of the boys runs fast.

The Correct Answer Is:

Option B is correct because 'pair' is singular, so the verb 'is' agrees. In A, 'news' is singular, so it should be 'is'. In C, 'many a student' takes a singular verb 'has'. In D, 'boys' is plural, so the verb should be 'run'.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you use apps like Google Translate or even voice assistants like Alexa, their ability to understand and generate grammatically correct sentences relies heavily on concord. For example, if you ask Alexa 'Where is my keys?', it might understand you, but a perfect system would ensure the response uses correct concord, like 'Your keys are on the table.' This helps make conversations with technology feel natural.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

SUBJECT: The person or thing performing the action in a sentence. | VERB: The action word in a sentence. | SINGULAR: Referring to one person or thing. | PLURAL: Referring to more than one person or thing. | AGREEMENT: When words match each other in number, gender, or person.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand concord, you're ready to explore different types of sentences and how to build them. Next, you can learn about tenses, which is how verbs change to show when an action happens, building on your knowledge of verb agreement.