EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: GRAMMATICAL CONCORD

By 

Ugwu, Hyginus Onyebuchi – Founder and Lead Writer, TheTextArtisan

Concord is crucial in communication as it helps to avoid ambiguity and ensures that the intended meaning is conveyed clearly.

INTRODUCTION

Grammatical Concord refers to the agreement between different parts of speech in a sentence to convey meaning effectively. These parts of speech when used in sentences are technically called Elements. Concord is crucial in communication as it helps to avoid ambiguity and ensures that the intended meaning is conveyed clearly.

ELEMENTS OF A SENTENCE

a. SUBJECT: The subject is the topic being discussed in the sentence. It is typically a noun, a pronoun or any other part of speech (a norminal ) that performs the action described by the verb. It can be singular [ e.g. boy ] or plural [ e.g. boys ].

Example:

John gives me a green towel everyday. [subject]

b. VERB: The verb is the action or state of being expressed in the sentence. It describes what the subject is doing or what is happening to the subject.

A singular verb is formed by adding an inflection [ -s / -es ].

LEXICAL verbs have SINGULAR Form [ e.g, gives ] and  PLURAL form [ e.g, give ] ONLY in the SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE.

Example:

John gives me a green towel.[verb]

NOTE: Some AUXILIARY verbs have different SINGULAR forms [ e.g, is/was ] and PLURAL forms [ e.g, are/were ] for the SIMPLE PRESENT [ e.g, is / are ] and PAST [ e.g was/were ]

c. OBJECT: The object is the recipient of the action described by the verb. It can be a direct object, which receives the action directly, or an indirect object, which receives the action indirectly.

Example:

I. John gives me { a green  towel }. [DIRECT OBJECT].

II. John gives { me } a green towel. [INDIRECT OBJECTS]

d. COMPLEMENT: The complement is a word [ usually an adjective ] or phrase that renames or describes the subject. It is typically used with linking verbs, such as forms of the verb "to be" [ e.g, is, was, are, were, has...etc ].

Example:

John is { handsome }. [COMPLEMENT]

e. ADVERBIALS: Adverbials are words or phrases that provide additional information about the verb, such as time, place, manner, or degree. They can be adverbs, prepositional phrases, or other phrases that modify the verb.

Example:

John gives me a green towel { everyday }.[ADVERBIAL of TIME]

Kenzo is { here }. [ADVERBIAL of PLACE]

TYPES AND LAWS OF CONCORD

1. SUBJECT-VERB CONCORD

Law 1: A singular subject must be matched with a singular verb.

Example:

{Rachel } {spends } her free time listening to music.

Rachel (singular subject)

Spends (singular verb)

Law 2: A plural Subject must be matched with a plural verb.

Example:

I. Plural noun

{ Girls} {spend } there free time listening to music.

II. Singular nouns  linked with "AND".

{Rachel and Ifeoma } { spend } their free time listening to music.

Law 3: Compound subjects take a singular Verb.

Example:

I. { Hard work and dedication } {is} the key to success.

II. { Rice and chicken } {is } my favourite meal.

Law 4: Indefinite pronouns take singular verb.

Example:

I. { Anyone who knows the deal } {is} guilty.

II.{ Everyone} {is } welcome.

Law 5: Some collective nouns go with singular verbs.

Example:

I. { The team } { is } ready.

II.{ My family} { gives } me everything I need.

2. PROXIMITY CONCORD

Proximity concord refers to the practice of relying on the noun that is closest to the verb to determine whether the verb is singular or plural. This means that if there are multiple nouns or phrases in a sentence, the verb will agree with the one that is closest to it.

This is the  case when using [ either...or, Neither...nor ]

Example:

Either Mazi or { his apprentices } are here.

Neither his apprentices nor { Mazi } { is } here.

3. NOTIONAL CONCORD:

Notional concord refers to the agreement between a verb and its subject based on the meaning or notion of the subject rather than its grammatical number. This means that the verb agrees with the subject based on the concept or idea it represents, rather than its grammatical form.

Example:

I. COLLECTIVE NOUN

{The government} {have } broken all their promises.

{ The people} {are } tired of his leadership style.

II. ABSTRACT NOUN

Her {calmness and confidence} {is} astonishing.

{ Fasting and praying} {enhances } your spiritual life.

4. ADJECTIVE-NOUN CONCORD

Adjective-noun concord refers to the agreement between an adjective and the noun it modifies. In English, this type of concord is relatively limited compared to other languages .

Example:

These quantifying adjectives like "much/many" and "little/few" must agree in number with the nouns they modify.

[ Much money ]

[ Little oil]

[ Many houses ]

EXCEPTIONS TO CONCORD SUBJECT-VERB RULE

The two classes of pronouns below do not follow the subject verb agreement rule.

The FIRST PERSON singular pronoun [ I ]:

Example:

I have a car.

I come here often.

The SECOND PERSON  singular/plural pronoun [ you ]:

You have a car.

You come here often.

SUMMARY

Concord is a vital aspect of English grammar that ensures clarity and coherence in communication. Understanding the different types of concord and their laws is essential for effective communication. Additionally, recognizing exceptions to these rules helps to avoid confusion and ambiguity. Thank you for your attention, and I hope this post has been informative and helpful