Irregular Noun/Verb Agreement

Chris:	Jessica, are you familiar with the concept of historical negationism?
Jessica:	Sure, it has to do with reinterpreting and distorting historical events… usually to cast something negative in a more positive light, right?
Chris:	That’s it! So let me get your opinion on something, because frankly, I’m a little confused.
Jessica:	Sure, go ahead.
Chris:	Well, I was listening to a debate on the radio about confederate monuments...
Jessica:	Ah, probably on the controversy surrounding their removal from public spaces?
Chris:	Yup! The discussion was fascinating. Jess, do you know how many confederate monuments there are in the country today?
Jessica:	Actually, I do. The United States has over 700 statues and monuments of the confederacy.
Chris:	I couldn’t believe it! I thought somebody must have counted wrong, so I checked, and it was true. It was news to me… really disturbing news.
Jessica:	And that figure doesn’t even include hundreds of other symbols, like the confederate flag.
Chris:	I knew which side of the controversy I was on. Take them down! But then, one caller on the radio argued that removing statues of Robert E. Lee or “Stonewall” Jackson is erasing and revising history! That got me worried. Could they be right?
Jessica:	Well, it can also be argued that erecting many of those monuments in the first place was itself an attempt to revise history.
Chris:	How so?
Jessica:	In the years following the Civil War, most monuments were made to honor fallen soldiers. But from 1900 to 1940, monuments paid tribute to confederate leaders, depicting them as heroic figures.
Chris:	Wait, are you telling me that new monuments during that period were part of some sort of... agenda? That it was politics?
Jessica:	Think about it! Building a monument in a park or in front of a court house isn’t easy or cheap. There were several influential groups of white Americans actively fundraising and lobbying to get these monuments into public spaces.
Chris:	I see... Those statues were meant to reshape historical memory. They were part of a campaign to justify the racist laws of segregation that were being written at the time!
Jessica:	One group, called the “United Daughters of the Confederacy,” not only raised millions for monuments all over the country, they also led an attack on academics. They fought to push a white supremacist vision of the Civil War into history textbooks.
Chris:	An association of southern ladies hosting fancy fundraisers to secretly support a white-supremacist agenda?!
Jessica:	And not even so “secretly”. Proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover, Chris.
Chris:	All of this is starting to sound like propaganda to me… Did it work?
Jessica:	I wish I could say otherwise but statistics is an exact science. I’m sad to say that nearly 50% of Americans today think the Civil War was mainly about state’s rights and limited government, not about maintaining the evils of slavery.
Chris:	I doubt I need to ask you where you stand on this issue, Jess, but it’s good manners not to assume...
Jessica:	I think the ethics of it is very clear. The truth is that the South fought for evil. We should not glorify the racist past of the nation. Amends have to be made and taking down the monuments is part of that.
Chris:	So what would you say to defenders of these monuments who admit that slavery was evil but don’t want to see their history erased?
Jessica:	Nobody wants history erased! But there is a difference between acknowledging and celebrating a painful history. Steps have to be taken to put these memorials into museums where they can be reflected upon.
Chris:	You have probably heard some critics say “Where does it stop?”. Many of the founding fathers had slaves, should we take down their statues too?
Jessica:	True. But they also made real and lasting contributions to this country. The Confederates did not. The memorials must go.

Irregular Noun/Verb Agreement

Many nouns have irregular plural forms. Some of these nouns have a singular meaning, while others have a plural meaning. This can make noun/verb agreement challenging and often confusing.

I. Plural Form Nouns With a Singular Meaning

Some nouns always appear in a plural form but have a singular meaning. Subjects of study that end in -ics follow this rule. Since these nouns have a singular meaning, they have a singular verb agreement.

Participating in athletics is a great way to stay in shape.✔ Correct Participating in athletics are a great way to stay in shape. ✘ Not correct Linguistics is a complicated area of study. ✔ Correct Linguistics are a complicated area of study. ✘ Not correct The local news airs at 5. ✔ Correct The local news air at 5. ✘ Not correct Billiards is played at many bars throughout the city. ✔ Correct Billiards are played at many bars throughout the city. ✘ Not correct

Other nouns that follow this rule are: statistics, mathematics, ethics, economics, molasses, electronics, politics, italics, mumps, and measles.

II. Plural Form Nouns With a Plural Meaning

Some nouns always a have fixed plural form. They are not used as singular noun, or if they are, they have a different meaning. Items that have two separate sides or come in pairs, such as pants or glasses, follow this rule. Notice that these nouns always have a plural verb agreement as well.

After doing such a great job, her boss offered her congratulations.✔ Correct After doing such a great job, her boss offered her congratulation. ✘ Not correct Those jeans fit you perfectly. ✔ Correct Those jean fit you perfectly. ✘ Not correct Your new glasses are really nice! ✔ Correct Your new glass are really nice! ✘ Not correct After vacation, we didn’t have much savings left. ✔ Correct After vacation, we didn’t have much saving left. ✘ Not correct

Other nouns that follow this rule are: pants, clothes, outskirts, wits, steps, stairs, tropics, customs, manners, wages, dues, and goods.

Irregular Noun/Verb Agreement

What are the following noun/verb agreement? Choose is or are.

Irregular Noun/Verb Agreement

Do the following nouns have a singular or plural meaning? Choose (type in the answer box) S for singular or P for plural.