is an alleged lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust found in volcanoes. It was originally coined as an instance of the longest English word. The more general and widely used term for this condition, commonly found among miners, is pneumoconiosis.

is "the act or habit of estimating or describing something as worthless.

The longest word in the English language consisting of all the vowel letters excluding the vowel letter “E”.

The longest word in the English language with NONO repeated letters.

is a mnemonic which was used in medieval music to denote the sequence of tones in the "seculorum Amen" passage of the hymn Gloria Patri. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the longest word in the English language which is made up of nothing but vowels; it is also the English word with the most consecutive vowels.

“The dishes in the kitchen is dirty.”

“The dishes in the kitchen ARE dirty.”

1. A compound subject joined by AND usually requires a plural verb.

Example: Mr. Enriquez and Mr. Mendoza are owners of a shopping mall.

EXEMPTION: when the items of a compound subject joined by AND refer to the same person or thing or together represent a single unit or idea, a singular verb is required.

The chairman and CEO of GMA 7 is a lawyer.Ham and egg is my favorite breakfast.

2. A compound subject joined by or, nor, either . . . or, neither . . . nor requires a singular verb if each word in the compound subject is singular.

Example: Neither GMA nor ABS-CBN has the right to question the order of the court.

Note: when the items of the compound subject joined by or, nor, differ in numbers or in person, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.

Neither Peter nor his CLASSMATES ARE informed about the shortened period.Mrs. Petra or her DAUGHTERS ARE capable of signing the document.

3. Intervening expressions like AS WELL AS, IN ADDITION TO, NO LESS THAN, WITH, TOGETHER WITH, BESIDES, ALONG WITH, IN COMPANY WITH, ACCOMPANIED BY, INCLUDING, and others do not affect the number of the subject.

Example: Will, together with Melai, is going to Baguio.

4. Nouns plural in form but singular in meaning such as ECONOMICS, GALLOWS, MATHEMATICS, MEASLES, CIVICS, MUMPS, PHYSICS, NEWS, etc. requires a singular verb.

Example: Meningitis is a dreadful disease.

5. Some nouns like PANTS, TROUSERS, JEANS, SHEARS, SCISSORS, TWEEZERS, and PLIERS are always plural.

Example: Pliers are often used by technicians.

6. When collective noun such as AUDIENCE, ARMY, CLASS, COMMITTEE, COMPANY, FAMILY, FLOCK, SWARM, GROUP, HERD, JURY, TEAM, denotes a collection regarded as a unit, it requires a singular verb. When it refers to persons or things included in the collection, it requires a plural verb.

 

Examples:

1.The audience is big.

2.The faculty is composed of competitive teachers.

7. Indefinite nouns, pronouns, and adjectives such as EACH, EVERY, ANOTHER, ANY, ONE, EITHER, NEITHER, ANYONE, EACH ONE, EVERYONE, SOMEONE, NO ONE, ANYBODY, EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, SOMETHING, are singular and requires a singular verb.

Example:

Someone has to deal with the problem.

Note: ALL, NONE and SOME may take either a singular or a plural verb according to their meaning.

Example:

All delegates have arrived.

8. Nouns denoting quantity and amount such as NUMBER, HALF, PART, PORTION, and PLENTY may take a singular or plural verb according to their meaning.

Examples:

1. A number of books were destroyed during the flood.

2. The number of books destroyed in the flood is big.

9. THERE IS, THERE WAS and THERE HAS BEEN should be used when the subject that follows is singular; THERE ARE, THERE WERE, THERE HAVE BEEN, when the subject that follows is plural.

Examples:

1. There is a man in the gate.

2. There are men in the gate.

10. Fractions take a singular verb if the object of the following OF-Phrase is singular; they take a plural verb if the object of the following OF-Phrase is plural. 

Examples:

1. One-half of the class is out for an activity.

2. Two-fourths of the pie has been eaten by Lorene.

11. Quantities and sums or multiples of numbers when expressing a single idea may take a singular verb.

Example:

1. Eleven times two is twenty-two.

2. Three kilometers is a requirement to finish the marathon.

QUIZIn a ½ C sheet of paper, copy and answer the following sentences.

Underline the correct verb to make the subject agree with it.

1. All of us (was, were) ready to leave at five o’clock.

2. Either Ester or her cousins (is, are) mistaken.

3. Twelve inches (is, are) equivalent to 1 foot.

4. His pants (is, are) torn.

5. (There is, There are) men who usually smoke.

6. The news (is, are) all about the feast of the Immaculate.

7. He or she (is, are) right.

8. Peter, as well as Myla, (is, are) afraid.

9. Melai and Mitch (is, are) both actresses in a theater.

10. One-fourth of the pizza (was, were) eaten by Mark.