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Communication: Written English | 239

Not only the students but also the teacher was laughing at him.
vii. (N)either-(n)or requires a singular verb though the noun nearest
to the verb defies its number, that is, whether it should be singular
or plural.
e.g., Either a car or an auto is passing by. The racket it is making is
unbelievable.
Neither the principal nor his colleagues in the committee are
ready to help you.
Either he or I am in the wrong.
Neither you nor your friends come on time.
viii. ‘Each’ and ‘every’ require a singular verb.
e.g., Each of our students is an unpolished gem.
Every teacher in our school is sincere.
ix. ‘None’ is singular but is followed by a plural verb if plurality is
implied.
e.g., None (but fools) have ever believed this pet nonsense.
None ill-treat her worse than her teachers.
x. ‘Many a’ + singular noun + singular verb is the correct sentence
construction.
e.g., Many a gem of purest ray serene is lost.
xi. The verb is plural if you wish to express a wish or a supposition.
e.g., If wishes were horses, many Indian students would ride away to
America.
I wish I were the principal.
These are some of the basic principles of the very necessary subject–verb
concord that is central to good communication in English, whether written
or spoken. But the S–V concord, or the lack thereof, can make or mar the
impression of written English.

Using Articles Correctly
As important as the S–V concord are the articles. As our mother tongues
lack an explicit surface level realization of articles we often forget them in
English also. Such a mistake is unpardonable though. Hence let us look at
the basic principles of article usage.

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