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Class 10 English Grammar: Verb Concord Made Easy for 2025-26

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Key Concepts and Examples of Verb Concord for CBSE Class 10 Students

Subject verb concord or subject verb agreement refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb. Subject verb concord Class 10 rules can make your writing and speaking skills more interesting and descriptive. But with so many verbs, person and number in English grammar, choosing which one to use suitably is difficult. However, no worries. This article will provide you with every information you need about subject verb concord for Class 10, so you can ace your grammar classes.

English Grammar for Class 10 Verb Concord Download free PDF

Today we will study an exciting topic “verb concord”. Verb concord refers to the subject-verb agreement that refers to how the words in your sentence match. 


A Special Point: subject and verb must agree in number. Also singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. Let’s learn more about this interesting and fun topic.


The Puppy Plays with the Bone


The Puppy Plays with the Bone


Rules of Verb Concord

1. The subject in a sentence and the verb associated with is subject should be of the same number. A singular verb should match a singular subject, while a multiple or plural verb should match a plural subject.

For Example, 

He goes to work by bus. (singular subject)

They visit  us every other week (plural subject)


2.  Regardless of whether there are words or phrases between the subject and the verb of the subject's number (singular or plural) remains the same.

For Example,

One of the bowls is empty. (Singular subject)

The bouquet of flowers looks very beautiful. (Plural subject)


3. The words and phrases “with”, “as well as”, ”together with”, and  “along with”, are not part of the subject and the verb agrees with the subject. So, if the subject is singular the verb is singular and if the subject is plural the verb is also plural.

For Example, 

The doctor, along with the nurse , is arriving soon.


4. Two subjects joined by “and” are plural verb is used. 

For Example, 

Mary and John are quite different.

Bacon and Eggs are my favourite dish.


5. Two subjects joined by “either……..or”, “neither……..nor”, ”not only……but also” and “or” take the verb agreement nearest to the subject closest to it.

For Example, 

Neither my brother nor my sister goes to university. (sister is closer to the verb so the singular verb ’goes’ is used for the singular subject)

Either I or my friends will  attend your wedding.


6. In sentences beginning with “here”, or  “there”, the correct verb that aligns with the subject follows the subject.

For Example, 

There is a bush near the playground.

Here are the new clothes.


7. Depending on how they are used in the phrase, collective nouns like "group," "population," and "family" might have either a singular or plural verb.

For Example, 

My family is here.

The crowd was waiting impatiently for the singer to arrive.


8. Pay attention to the noun after the 'of' when a sentence contains terms like 'a lot of, all, some, etc. Use a singular verb if the noun after "of" is singular; a plural verb if it is plural subject.

For Example, 

A lot of the cake is still left.

Some clothes are torn. 


9. Use of singular verb for expression of measurement, time, money, and weight when the amount is considered one unit. 

For Example, 

1000 Rupees is a very a reasonable price.


10. Plural form subject with a singular meaning takes a singular verb such as measles, statistics, civics, etc.

For Example, 

Soccer is his favorite sport.


11. Titles of single entities such as books, organizations, and countries are always singular.

For Example, 

Harry potter is an interesting novel.

India is the best country. 


Some More Subject- Verb Agreement Rules 

  1. If you have singular subject you must use these words : is/was/has/ does or verbs ending with s or es because these verbs are singular verbs form.

  2. If you have plural subject you must use these words: are/were/ have/do verbs not ending with s or es because these verbs are plural verbs forms.

  3. Any time you have pronoun marked with YOU then, plural verb must be used which are as follows are/were/ have/ do or verbs without s or es ending.


Difficult Word Meaning

Word

Meaning

Concord

Agreement or in alignment with something

mesmerized

To hold somebody’s attention completely.


subdued

Quite and with less energy than usual.

scattered

Spread over a vast area

uncountable

Which cannot be counted 

weird

Very different from others.


Practise Questions

Choose the right verb.

  1. The cat is/are scratching the tree.

  1. Johny want/wants a new watch.

  2. A boy is/ are playing with the ball.

  3. Everyone at my party is/are eating ice cream and cake.

  4. Two horses is/are running in a circle.

  5. Mike dogs is/are huge.

  6. There was/ were three dogs roaming on the road.

  7. I like/likes the blue dress you were wearing that day.

  8. There was/were four priests in the church.

  9. The trees was/ were blown away because of the heavy wind.

  10. Every day, she writes and reads books.

  11. No one was available to meet with me at the time I desired.

  12. The committee agrees on the writing's quality.

  13. This quarter's earnings exceeded forecasts.

  14. Before continuing, the chairman or CEO must approve the plan.


Answers:

  1. The cat is scratching the tree.

  2. Johny wants a new watch.

  3. A boy is playing with the ball.

  4. Everyone at my party is eating ice cream and cake.

  5. Two horses are running in a circle.

  6. Mike’s dogs are huge.

  7. There were three dogs roaming on the road.

  8. I like the blue dress you were wearing that day.

  9. There were four priests in the church.

  10. The trees were blown away because of the heavy wind.

  11. Every day, she writes and reads books.

  12. No one was available to meet with me at the time I desired.

  13. The committee agrees on the writing's quality.

  14. This quarter's earnings exceeded forecasts.

  15. Before continuing, the chairman or CEO must approve the plan.


Subject Verb Concord Class 10 Rules 

Adverbs are used in sentences to answer questions related to the verb, adjective or adverb. There are subject verb concord Class 10 rules in grammar.

  • Rule 1 

The verb must agree in number with the subject (singular or plural). As a result, the verb should match the subject's case: if the subject is singular, it should be singular; if the subject is plural, it should be plural.

  • Rule 2

Regardless of whether there are words or phrases between the subject and the verb, the subject's number (singular or plural) remains the same.

  • Rule 3 

Use a plural verb when connecting subjects in a sentence that are united by "and." Singular verbs are used with subjects connected by "either/or" or "neither/nor."

  • Rule 4

When "or," "either/or," or "neither/nor" are present, the verb in the sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun that is closest to it.

  • Rule 5

When the subject is preceded by words like "as well as," "along with," "besides," "not," etc., ignore them and, if the subject is singular, use a singular verb.

  • Rule 6

When a sentence starts with "here" or "there," the genuine subject usually comes after the verb.

  • Rule 7

Use singular verbs in sentences that refer to amounts of money, lengths of time, distances, etc.

  • Rule 8

Pay attention to the noun after the 'of' when a sentence contains terms like 'a lot of, all, some, etc. Use a singular verb if the noun after "of" is singular; a plural verb if it is multiple.


10 Subject Verb Concord Class 10 Exercises

  1. Neither your hair clip nor your shoes match your dress. (SINGULAR)

  2. The performance of William McKinley High School was great. (SINGULAR)

  3. The little boy loves mangoes. (SINGULAR)

  4. Your heartbeat is not normal. (SINGULAR)

  5. All of my toys have been donated. (PLURAL)

  6. Bread and butter is wholesome food. (SINGULAR)

  7. Brick and stone are lying scattered all over the place.(PLURAL)

  8. Time and tide wait for none. (SINGULAR)

  9. She plays football. (SINGULAR)

  10. They play hockey. (PLURAL)


Important Topics for Subject Verb Concord Class 10 CBSE

The following subjects will be covered in subject verb concord Class 10 CBSE

  • Types of Concord

  • Grammatical concord

  • Notional Concord

  • Categorisation concord

  • Concord of indefinite pronouns

  • Concord of quasi coordinated subjects

  • Concord of coordinated subjects

  • Double title concord


Benefits of Subject Verb Concord Class 10 Free PDF Download

Here is the list of benefits of  Concord Class 10 Free PDF:

  • The PDF consists of Subject verb concord for Class 10 well-detailed explanation and examples for deep understanding of the topic.

  • Students are often confused while solving worksheets about whether their answer is correct, so this PDF consists of subject verb concord Class 10 exercises so that the students can rectify their mistakes then and there.

  • The worksheets in the PDF are designed to aid 10th Class students in comprehending the subject verb concord’s fundamental idea and application.

  • Subject verb concord Class 10 exercises will cover all the types of questions that can be formed from this topic.

If you're looking for a suitable subject verb concord Class 10 CBSE PDF solution, then you should check out these by Vedantu. You can answer numerous exam questions based on this material by making reference to it. As was already established, the subject of subject-verb concord is crucial since it teaches you how to construct some really fundamental sentences.


Summary

As the name implies, the verb concord is an agreement, therefore it is essentially an agreement of subject and verb that is governed by different rules. It is used to link or contract a subject with the verb in a sentence, and a subject-verb agreement is used to connect two separate sentences, such as a singular verb in a singular subject and a plural verb in a plural subject. The agreement of the verb with the subject is critical because only then can the sentence be considered grammatically acceptable; otherwise, faulty sentences cannot deliver the message or point correctly.

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FAQs on Class 10 English Grammar: Verb Concord Made Easy for 2025-26

1. What types of questions on Subject-Verb Concord are important for the CBSE Class 10 English exam 2025-26?

For the CBSE Class 10 English exam, questions on Subject-Verb Concord are typically integrated into the Grammar section. You can expect them in formats like gap-filling (cloze tests), error correction (identifying and correcting the verb in a sentence), and multiple-choice questions (MCQs) where you have to choose the correct verb form to agree with the subject.

2. Which are the most frequently tested rules of Subject-Verb Concord in the Class 10 board exams?

Based on board exam trends, some of the most important and frequently tested rules include:

  • Subjects joined by 'and' taking a plural verb.

  • The use of singular verbs with indefinite pronouns like 'each', 'every', 'anyone', 'nobody'.

  • Verbs used with collective nouns (e.g., 'team', 'jury', 'family'), which can be singular or plural based on context.

  • The 'either/or' and 'neither/nor' rule, where the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.

  • Subjects that are separated from the verb by long phrases or clauses.

3. What is a common trap in Verb Concord questions involving phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as'?

A very common trap is when a singular subject is followed by a phrase like 'along with', 'as well as', 'in addition to', or 'together with' containing a plural noun. Students often mistakenly make the verb agree with the plural noun in the phrase. The rule is that the verb must always agree with the main subject of the sentence. For example, in the sentence, “The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly,” the subject is 'politician' (singular), so the verb is 'is', not 'are'.

4. How does the 'rule of proximity' cause common errors, and how can students avoid this mistake in exams?

The 'rule of proximity' is a common error where students make the verb agree with the noun that is physically closest to it, instead of the actual subject. For example, in “The quality of the mangoes was not good,” the subject is 'quality' (singular), not 'mangoes' (plural). Students might incorrectly write 'were' because 'mangoes' is closer to the verb. To avoid this, always identify the true subject of the sentence first by asking 'what' or 'who' is performing the action, and ignore any intervening prepositional phrases.

5. How is knowledge of Verb Concord important for scoring well in the Class 10 English writing section?

Mastering Subject-Verb Concord is crucial beyond just the grammar section. In the writing section, which includes tasks like Letter Writing and Analytical Paragraphs, grammatical accuracy is a key marking parameter. Correct concord ensures your sentences are clear, logical, and well-structured. Examiners deduct marks for grammatical errors, and mistakes in subject-verb agreement can make your writing seem weak and unclear, impacting your overall score.

6. From an exam perspective, how should one handle Verb Concord with collective nouns like 'committee' or 'team'?

This is an important area for board exams. When a collective noun acts as a single, unified unit, you must use a singular verb. For example, “The team is playing well this season.” However, if the members of the group are acting as individuals, you must use a plural verb. For example, “The committee are divided in their opinions.” For the exam, carefully read the context to determine if the collective noun refers to a single entity or to its individual members.