Concord Usage in English Grammar: An Overview

Abstract

There are various kinds of concord in the English language because the principle of agreement between forms is very central to syntax as the whole point about syntax is the interrelationships among linguistic structures and their functions. On this note, this paper reviews some works on the concord, with the aim of bringing out areas whose agreements determine correctness of our sentences or otherwise. The agreements include but not limited to: modifiers and their heads, time adverbials and the verbs used, group or pair nouns and the verbs used; and pronouns and their antecedents. For simplicity sake, certain points about concord discussed by Eastwood (1994) and Murthy (1998) were respectively reviewed. The review reveals that concord is much more than agreement or relationship just between subject and verb but rather the relationship between elements that are used for sentence formation. The paper also offers some recommendations for the improvement of teaching, learning and use of concord in particular and the English language in general.

Full text

IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)
Volume 26, Issue 9, Series 7 (September. 2021) 01-05
e-ISSN: 2279-0837, p-ISSN: 2279-0845.
www.iosrjournals.org
DOI: 10.9790/0837-2609070105 www.iosrjournals.org 1 |Page
Concord Usage in English Grammar: An Overview
HARUNA SHUAIBU
IBRAHIM GHALI
Department of English
Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare
Bauchi State, Nigeria
AHMED BABA MUSTAPHA
Department of General Studies Education
Federal College of Education (Tech) Gombe
Gombe State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
There are various kinds of concord in the English language because the principle of agreement between forms is
very central to syntax as the whole point about syntax is the interrelationships among linguistic structures and
their functions. On this note, this paper reviews some works on the concord, with the aim of bringing out areas
whose agreements determine correctness of our sentences or otherwise. The agreements include but not limited
to: modifiers and their heads, time adverbials and the verbs used, group or pair nouns and the verbs used; and
pronouns and their antecedents. For simplicity sake, certain points about concord discussed by Eastwood (1994)
and Murthy (1998) were respectively reviewed. The review reveals that concord is much more than agreement
or relationship just between subject and verb but rather the relationship between elements that are used for
sentence formation. The paper also offers some recommendations for the improvement of teaching, learning and
use of concord in particular and the English language in general.
KEY WORDS: Syntax, Concord, Subject, Verb
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Date of Submission: 08-09-2021 Date of Acceptance: 23-09-2021
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I. INTRODUCTION
Concord is central to English grammar and to our understanding of how English sentences can be
effectively used to convey our thoughts, ideas, feelings and so on. Grammatical elements that are used in
forming sentences should always be well-connected and agreed with one another in order to produce a
comprehensive linguistic construction. The elements combine to form phrases, clauses and sentences have to be
systematically arranged and syntagmatically related, after being carefully selected to avoid any element of
vagueness or ambiguity. This is to say that, sentence formation in English language involves selecting
appropriate words and placing them in their respective suitable positions to provide constructions that can be
easily comprehended as that is essential in both speech and writing. The paper therefore attempts to reveal some
other areas apart from subject and verb that are worthy of noting as far as grammatical agreement is concerned.
For effective communication to be achieved, sentences must be well-formed without disunity between the
elements used.
THE CONCEPT OF CONCORD
This is a concept that is used in grammatical theory and description to refer to formal relationships that
exist between elements of grammar. Concord is the general grammatical term of a language which in a basic
sense, refers to the relationship between two grammatical units. One unit which triggers the agreement relation
is known as “controller” and the other unit which is determined by the controller known as “target”. These two
units are determined by syntactic and semantic characteristics which are called “agreement features”. This
means that if the subject is the controller and the verb is the target, the agreement features are represented by the
use of number and person (Corbett, 2006, pp. 4-5). In simple terms concord simply means that a form of one
word requires a corresponding form of another.
In traditional grammar concord is seen as an agreement between a subject and a verb in a sentence,
which is however much more than that. The subject and the verb are just two elements out of many elements

Concord Usage In English Grammar: An Overview
DOI: 10.9790/0837-2609070105 www.iosrjournals.org 2 |Page
that possibly make up sentences. In this regard, Eastwood (1998: 191) explains that “concord can be seen as an
internal agreement among the grammatical elements within a sentence, occupying their right and respective
positions, showing their relationship in number, person and time as well as functioning to collectively generate
an idea of the sentence in which they appear”. Yule (1996: 83), when discussing „agreement‟, asserts the
following:
In addition to the terms used for the parts of speech, traditional grammatical analysis has also given us
a number of other categories, including “number,” “person,” “tense,” “voice” and “gender.” These categories
can be discussed in isolation, but their role in describing language structure becomes clearer when we consider
them in terms of agreement.
The quotation above shows that concord is a broad concept under which a number of grammatical
issues such as the relationship between the speaker, listener, and the person/thing being discussed, singular and
plural usages, time of speaking or writing and the agreement between pronouns and their antecedents are dealt
with. Looking at the brief arguments raised in the definitions and discussions above, concord has be seen as a
concept that integrates all grammatical elements used in sentences rather than just limiting it to a relationship
between „subject‟ and „verb‟. On this note, attempts have been made in paper to highlight some areas where
agreement counts, as one word has to agree with another for having a grammatical construction either group or
clause. To justify this claim, some wrong usages caused by lack of agreement are thus illustrated below:
Modifiers
 These books * This books
 Handsome boy * Beautiful boy
 People‟s party * Peoples‟ party
Past tense
 I was… yesterday. * I am… yesterday.
 I had… last years. * I have… last year.
 We were… last month. * We are… last month.
Participle forms
 She has come. * She has came.
 They were taken. * They were take/took.
 The students have been asked…. * The students have been ask….
Collation
 Proud of * Proud for
 Congratulations on * Congratulations for
 Confidence in * Confidence on
The above examples provide clear pictures of some areas where agreement plays a vital role. Firstly modifiers
are provided with their appropriate heads in one side, and paired with the ones used with wrong heads in the
other side marked with asterisk *. Same pattern is done to the time adverbials and the verbs used; participle
forms and collation. The wrong usages are culled from Shuaibu (2019) being categorized under errors of
agreement.
TYPES OF CONCORD
Being a broad concept in which a number of grammatical issues are treated, concord is generally
discussed under three (3) different types namely: grammatical concord, notional concord and concord of
proximity.
1. Grammatical Concord
This refers to the agreement of subject and verb, pronoun and its antecedent, subject and complement
etc. It is the most fundamental type of concord in which the verb matches the subject in number. A singular
subject agrees with a singular verb and a plural subject takes a plural verb. There are two types of grammatical
concord which are concord of number and person. Concord of number deals with singularity and plurality, but
concord of person deals with 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person (Leech & Svartivk, 2002, p. 273).
2. Notional Concord
This is the second principle of concord. It is semantically based. It refers to the agreement according to the idea
of plurality in a group noun rather than a singular form of the noun. Different words or a group of nouns take
either singular or plural concord like the word “family”:
2. a- A new family have moved in across the street.
2. b- A new family has moved in across the street.
In (2) (a) above, the word “family” notionally takes the plural verb (have), but in (b) it grammatically takes the
singular verb (has). The singular is used when the group is considered as a single undivided body.

Concord Usage In English Grammar: An Overview
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3. Concord of Proximity
This is the agreement of the verb with the closely preceding subject. It is positionally based in which the verb
agrees with the nearest subject. The verb takes its number from whatever pronoun or noun phrase precedes it
and functions as a subject. This is evidently illustrated in the examples below:
3. a- No one except his own supporters agree with him.
In the sentence above, the verb “agree” agrees with the number of “supporters”. Although the head noun “No
one” is singular, the verb agrees with the nearest noun. It is very important to note that proximity concord is
reinforced by notional concord.
4. b- Either the teacher or the students are to blame for the bad results.
In the sentence above, the verb “are” agrees with the number of “students”. Although the first head noun “the
teacher” is singular, the verb agrees with the nearest noun.
SOME POINTS TO NOTE ON CONCORD
To cut the argument short, certain points discussed by experts in relation to concord are hereby reviewed.
Eastwood (1994) discusses some points to note on concord, and they are as follow:
1. There are singular nouns that look like plural ones. In effect, some learners get confused when using
such words in sentences. These words include physics, linguistics, stylistics, news, gymnastics, economics etc.
Below are some examples in usage:
 The news is not very good.
 Gymnastics seems difficult.
 Stylistics does not interest me.
2. Group nouns (sometimes called collective nouns) take either singular or plural verb. The choice
depends on whether we see the group noun as a unit or as individual members, for example:
 The crowd was/were in a cheerful mood.
 The team has/have won the competition.
 The class is/are actively participating in the lesson.
 Note: using collective nouns with relative pronouns is different as in:
The crowd which has …. (Singular) / The crowd who have…. (Plural)
3. Pair nouns (nouns made up of two identical parts) are plural in form and they therefore take plural
verbs when used as in:
 These trousers need to be ironed.
 Your new glasses are very beautiful.
 I want to buy some glasses.
 Note that pair/pairs are used with group nouns to refer to either one or both more as in:
The pair of trousers needs to be washed.
How have three pairs of scissors managed to disappear?
4. After none of, neither of, either of, any of + plural noun phrase, we can use either a singular or plural
verb. But, the plural verb is more informal.
 None (of the pupils) has/have failed the test.
 I do not know if either (of these batteries) is/are good.
 Neither (of them) has/have a car.
5. We use a singular verb after a subject with „every‟ and „each‟ as in:
 Every student has to take a test.
 Each day was the same as the one before.
 Note that when „each‟ follows a plural subject, the verb is plural as in:
The pupils each have to take a test.
6. Two or more phrases linked by „and‟ take a plural verb as in:
 Both the kitchen and the dining room are closed.
 Unemployment and economic crisis have contributed….
 Note that a phrase with „and‟ in the bracket does not make the subject plural as in:
The kitchen (and of course the dining room) faces due west.
7. A phrase with „as well as‟ and „with‟ does not make the subject plural, so it takes singular verb as in:
 George, together with some of his friends, is buying a book.
 The bag as well as the book is on the table.
 The teacher with her student has opened the classroom.
8. When two phrases are linked by ‘or’ the verb usually agrees with the nearest. Below are some
examples:
 Either the girls or the boy is in the room.

Concord Usage In English Grammar: An Overview
DOI: 10.9790/0837-2609070105 www.iosrjournals.org 4 |Page
 Either his sister or the neighbors are looking after the dog.
9. If a phrase comes after a subject, the verb agrees with the first subject as in:
 The house between the two shops is empty.
 The lady walking with two girls has written a novel.
 The books in the teacher‟s hand are beautiful.
10. When a phrase or clause is used as a subject, it takes singular verb as in:
 Through the trees is the quickest way.
 Opening my eyes was exciting.
 Having good ideas helps a lot.
11. A phrase of measurement usually takes a singular because it is seen as a unit. Below are some
examples:
 Ten miles is too far to walk.
 Thirty pounds seems a reasonable price.
In the above examples, a distance is seen as a whole not the individual miles in the first sentence and in the
second sentence, a sum of thirty pounds is seen not the individual pounds.
12. Titles and names also take a singular verb when they refer to one thing as in:
 Star Wars was a very successful film.
 Tom and Jerry makes children happy.
 The Lions wins the national award.
Moreover, there are other areas worth considering as far as concord is concerned. Murthy (1998), in
addition to the points discussed above, stresses on other important points such as the use of modifier-articles,
possessive pronouns etc. especially when using two different nouns referring to two different persons, the use of
„either-or‟ and „neither-nor‟ and related aspects. Some of the areas discussed by Murthy (1998) are reviewed
below:
13. If two nouns used as subject and they refer to two different persons, the modifiers should be used
before each noun to avoid ambiguity and the verb must be plural as in:
 My aunt and the guardian want me to apply for a job.
 The author and our teacher have invited me to a dinner.
 Their teachers and the principal were in the hall.
14. When two singular subjects are connected by „either/or‟ or „neither/nor‟, they must be used with a
singular verb. But, when one of the subjects is plural, the plural subject should be placed last and it should be
followed by a plural verb. For example:
 Neither Ahmad nor Grace has agreed to collect the topic.
 Either the Guard or the student is not saying the truth.
 Either Ali or his sisters are kind and considerate to me.
 Neither the Minister nor his cronies have understood the problem.
II. CONCLUSION
The paper discussed „concord‟ beyond the traditional point of view in which is limited to „subject-verb‟
agreement. As such, the paper stressed the importance of incorporating the correct use of other elements that are
frequently used in phrase, clause or sentence formation. It was shown how modifiers and their heads agree with
each other, how verbs agree with time adverbials that they are used together, how group or pair nouns and the
verbs used agree with each other and how pronouns and their antecedents also agree with each other.
Consequently, the discussions showed that concord concerns with the general syntagmatic relations of the
grammatical elements used in sentences not only „subject‟ and „verb‟. To reveal more areas that are worthy of
noting, the paper also reviewed some of the experts‟ works; particularly the work of Eastwood (1994) and
Murthy (1998) on certain areas as far as concord is concerned.
III. RECOMMENDATIONS
Taken into consideration the points discussed in this paper, the following recommendations are hereby
offered to help in drawing the attention of both the teachers and learners of English as a second language in
respect to concord:
1. Teachers should endeavour to make their lessons students-centred so that there should be adequate
participation in the lesson by the students in order to encourage discussion of the various agreements considered
when forming English sentences.
2. Teachers should formulate various class exercises with different kinds of concord in sampling
paragraphs and passages for easy identification by the students.
3. Elements of sentence structure such as subject, predicate, object, complement and adjunct should be
thoroughly taught to students to aid understanding and usage of the concord.

Concord Usage In English Grammar: An Overview
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4. Constituents of group structure such as nominal group, verbal group, adjectival group, adverbial group
and prepositional group should also be intensively taught to provide the students with basic knowledge of
composing good English sentences.
5. Students should be encouraged to practise both oral and written communications with the different
kinds of concord so as to support linguistic and communicative competence in the use of English language.
6. Contrastive analysis on concord and other difficult language aspects between the native and target
language (mother tongue and English) should be conducted so as to be in a good position to tackle errors from
the negative transfers.
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HARUNA SHUAIBU, et. al. “Concord Usage in English Grammar: An Overview.”IOSR Journal of
Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 26(09), 2021, pp. 01-05.