Such a change or
_inflection_, in the case of the noun, is called _declension;_ in the
case of the verb it is called _conjugation_. Nouns are _declined_; verbs
are _conjugated_.
+57. Person and Number.+--In Latin, or any other highly inflected
language, there are many terminations to indicate differences in person
and number, but in English there is but one in common use, _s_ in the
third person singular: [_He runs_], _St_ or _est_ is used after _thou_ in
the second person singular: [_Thou lovest_].
+58. Agreement.+--Verbs must agree with their subjects in
person and number. The following suggestions concerning
agreement may be helpful:--
1. A compound subject that expresses a single idea takes a singular verb:
[Bread and milk _is_ wholesome food].
2. When the members of a compound subject, connected by _neither ... nor_,
differ as regards person and number, the verb should agree with the nearer
of the two: [Neither they nor I _am_ to blame].
3. When the subject consists of singular nouns or pronouns connected by
_or, either ... or, neither ... nor_, the verb is singular: [Either this
book or that _is_ mine].
4. Words joined to the subject by _with, together with, as well as_, etc.,
do not affect the number of the verb. The same is true of any modifier of
the subject: [John, as well as the girls, _is_ playing house. One of my
books _is_ lying on the table. Neither of us _is_ to blame].
5. When the article _the_ precedes the word _number_, used as a subject,
the verb should be in the singular; otherwise the verb is plural: [_The_
number of pupils in our schools _is_ on the increase.
Pages:
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471