Spot Errors in 5 Seconds: Modifier & Parallelism Rules with Examples | English Grammar Tricks for SSC, CGL, CHSL, CAT, Banking | Crack All Competitive Exams: Without Stress

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 Modifier & Parallelism Rules (With Exam Tricks)

SSC CGL English Grammar Notes

Tips & Tricks to Master 

(Subject Verb Agreement) 

for All Competitive Exams

Master the rules of "Subject - Verb Agreement" quickly with this visual trick - ideal for competitive exams.

Here is a picture of the flowchart that will be helpful to master the topic: Subject - Verb Agreement.

A flow chart of Subject-Verb Agreement serves as an effective visual aid by breaking down the rules and complexities of subject-verb concord into a clear, step-by-step format. 

This visual representation helps individuals easily grasp the relationship between subjects and verbs, ensuring that they agree in number and person.

 By guiding the user through various scenarios, such as singular and plural subjects, compound subjects, and special cases like collective nouns or indefinite pronouns, the flow chart simplifies decision-making processes. 

This structured approach not only enhances understanding but also aids in quickly identifying and correcting errors in sentence construction, making it an invaluable tool for both learners and educators.

Rule 1: Singular Subject - Singular Verb 

Here, it means if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular.

For instance: 

Rohan cracked the SSC exam in first attempt.

It is an example of "Simple Past Tense". 

In Simple Past Tense - we use second form of the verb (cracked) 

If the same sentence, we want to change in "Simple Present Tense".

Rohan cracks the SSC exam in first attempt. (Simple Present Tense)

In case of Simple Present Tense, we use base form of the verb. but with the third person singular (he, she, it or name of a person, place or a thing) we add" s " or "es". Here, I have used "s"cracks. "Rohan" is the name of a person.

Rule 2:  Plural Subject - Plural Verb:

If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural:

• The boys play cricket in the evening.
• Rita and Gita go to the supermarket to buy some groceries.

Mastering subject verb agreement comes down to identify the true subject of the sentence and ignoring non essential words (distractors) placed between the subject and the verb.

Core SVA (Subject - Verb Agreement) Rules for Competitive Exams 

Rule/Trigger: Prepositional Modifiers 

Rule Description: Intervening Prepositional Phrases (along with, together with, as well as, in addition to) do not change the subject.

Example: The director, along with his employees is present.

Rule/Trigger: Either/ or, Neither/ nor

Rule Description: The verb agrees with the subject closest to it (Rule of Proximity).

Example: Neither the guard nor the other employees were aware.

Rule/Trigger: Indefinite Pronouns 

Rule Description: Each, Every, Everyone, Someone, Nobody always stay a singular verb.

Example: Each of the candidates has submitted the form.

Rule/Trigger: Collective Nouns 

Rule Description: Singular when acting as a unified unit; plural when acting as divided individuals.

Examples: 

• The Jury has reached a verdict.
• The Jury are divided in their opinions.

Fractions and Percentages

Verb depends on the noun following the preposition "of".

• Half of the candidates were absent.
• Half of the ice cream was consumed.

Relative Pronouns 

Who, Which, That take the verb agreeing with the antecedent (noun immediately before).

He is one of those men who are always ready to serve needy people.

Nouns Plural in Form, Singular in Meaning 

Subjects like Mathematics, Physics, News, Economics take a singular verb.

Physics is a challenging subject.

High Yield Exam Tricks 

One of the (Plural Noun) + (Who/Which/That) + Plural Verb 

Incorrect: One of the keys that was loss has been found.❌

Correct: One of the keys that were lost has been found.✔️

("that" refers to "keys", so the verb is plural).

Exception: ("The only one"): 

She is the only one of the students who has passed.

"A number of" vs. "The number of"

A number of + Plural Noun - Plural Verb 

(A number of students are present.)

"The number of" + Plural Noun - Singular Verb 

(The number of candidates is increasing.)

Inversion in "Here" and "There"

The subject comes after the verb in sentences starting with Here and There.

Incorrect: There is many issues to clarify immediately.❌

Correct: There are many issues to clarify immediately.✔️

Units of Measurement & Sums of Money

When representing a single unified quantity, use a singular verb.

Example: 

10 miles is a long distance to cover in 2 seconds.

Both Modifier Errors and Parallelism are heavily tested error spotting concepts in competitive exams like SSC CGL,CAT, UPSC Banking,and other Government Exams). Mastering these two rules ensures quick accuracy on sentence correction questions.

Modifier Errors in English Grammar 

A modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that provides extra detail about another word in the sentence. The rule is simple: Modifier must sit as possible to the exact noun or pronoun it modifies.

Misplaced Modifiers vs. Dangling Modifiers 

A modifier is misplaced when it is 

placed too far from the word it describes, creating an unintended or absurd meaning.

Incorrect: Walking down the street, a falling rock nearly hit Raman.❌

(Analysis: Who was walking down the street?

Grammatically, "a falling rock" is the subject following the comma, making it sound like that rock was walking!)

Correct: Walking down the street, Raman was nearly hit by a falling rock.✔️

Correct: While Raman was walking down the street, a falling rock nearly hit him.✔️

Dangling Modifiers Examples with Answers 

A modifier "dangles" when the noun or pronoun it is meant to modify is completely missing from the sentence.

Incorrect: Having finished the assignment, the TV was turned on.❌

(Analysis: Who finished the assignment? The sentence says " the TV", which is illogical.)

Correct: Having finished the household work, Rita turned on the TV.✔️

Limiting Modifiers (Only, Almost, Hardly, Nearly)

Limiting modifiers change the meaning depending on where they are placed. In exams, pay attention to the exact word immediately following only or nearly.

Incorrect: He only ate Pasta for lunch.❌

The corrected sentence is:

 “He ate only pasta for lunch.”✔️

Explanation: In the original sentence, the placement of the word “only” can create ambiguity. The word “only” should be 

placed directly before the word or phrase

 it modifies to make the sentence clearer. 

By positioning “only” before “pasta,” it specifies that pasta was the sole item he 

ate for lunch, eliminating any potential confusion about what the word “only” 

is modifying.

(He ate only Pasta and nothing else.)

Parallelism Rules for Competitive Exams 

Parallelism requires that words, phrases, and clauses in a series or list must share

 the same grammatical form (e. g., matching Noun with Noun, Gerund with Gerund, Infinitive with Infinitive).

List and Series 

All items in a list must have identical grammatical structures.

Incorrect: She likes cooking, stitching, and to knit.❌

(Analysis: Gerund + Gerund + Infinitive is unbalanced.)

Correct: She likes cooking, stitching and knitting. (All Gerunds)✔️

Correct: She likes to cook, to stitch and to knit. (All Infinitives)✔️

Correlative Conjunctions

 Parallelism Rules 

Words connected by correlative conjunctions must be followed by 

matching grammatical structures:

• Not only  ..... but also 
• Either ...... or
• Both ...... and 
• Neither  ...... nor

Incorrect: She is not only famous for her acting but also for her singing.❌

(Analysis: "not only" is followed by an adjective (famous), but "but also" is followed by a prepositional phrase (for her singing).

Not only but also placement 

Correct: She is famous not only for her kindness but also for her generosity.✔️

(Both are prepositional phrases)

Correct: He not only acts but also sings.

(Both are verbs)✔️

Comparisons (Than or As) 

Faulty Comparison Rules 

Ensure that the items being compared

 are grammatically parallel and logically comparable.

Incorrect: The weather in Pune is better than Delhi.❌

(Analysis: You cannot compare "weather" to a "city".)

Correct: The weather in Pune is better than that of Delhi.✔️

Incorrect: I prefer cooking to bake.❌

Correct: I prefer cooking to baking.✔️ (Gerund compared to Gerund)

Quick Exam Cheat Sheet 

Error Type: Introductory Modifier 

What to Check: Sentence starts with  

 "-ing"  or  "- ed" phrase followed by a comma.

Correlative Pairs 

• Not only ....... but also 
• Either ..... or

Whatever structure follows Part A must match whatever follows Part B.

Error Type: Comparisons

What to Check: Than/As

Correlative Pairs: Compare Noun to Noun (using that of I those of), Gerund to Gerund

Super Important SSC Tricks: 

(Spotting Errors Tricks)

English Grammar for SSC CGL, Error Spotting tricks for Banking Exams 

Learn grammar through visuals - because what you see, you remember!

Each /Every - Singular Verb 

Each host is ready to welcome the guests.

Either..... or / Neither .... nor - Nearest subject rule 

Either the host or the guests are ready to welcome the newly elected President.

Along with / As well as - First subject rule 

The host as well as the guests is ready to meet the newly elected president.

A Number Of  - Plural Verb 

A number of hosts are ready to receive the chief guest.

The Number Of  - Singular Verb 

The number of guests is ready to meet the newly elected president.

Practice to beat the competition

Before you begin the exercise, revise 

the important rules of Subject - Verb Agreement.

A clear understanding of these rules will help you identify errors quickly, choose the correct answer, and complete the exercise accurately within the allotted time.

Fill in the blanks:

Each of the candidates ___ responsible for completing the syllabus.

• be
• were 
• are
• is

Answer: is

Explanation: "Each" is a singular pronoun, so it takes a singular verb "is".

The team ____ reached a unanimous decision.

• was 
• has
• having 
• have 

Answer: has

Explanation: "The team" is considered a singular entity, thus it takes the singular verb "has".

Neither the manager nor the employees ____ ready for the presentation.

• has
• are
• was 
• is

Answer: are 

Explanation: When subjects are joined by  "neither/nor", the verb agrees with the subject closer to it, which is "employees"  here.

The number of aspirants _____ increasing every year.

• have 
• are
• is
• were

Answer: is

Explanation: " The number" is a singular subject,so it takes the singular verb "is".

Ethics ___ the science of human conduct and morality.

• was
• are
• is
• have 

Answer: is

Explanation: "Ethics", a singular noun that takes a singular verb "is".

A bunch of roses ____ on the table.

• are
• is
• were 
• be

Answer: is

Explanation: "A bunch" is a singular subject, thus it takes a singular verb "is".

Either the captain or his subordinates ____ attending the urgent meeting.

• are 
• is
• was 
• has

Answer: are 

Explanation: The verb agrees with the plural noun "subordinates" which is closer

 to the verb.

The Indian cricket team ______  playing well this year.

• have 
• has
• are 
• is

Answer: is

Explanation: "The Indian team" is a collective noun considered singular, so it takes "is".

The police _____ investigating the case.

• are 
• is
• was 
• have 

Answer: are

Explanation: "Police" is a plural noun and takes the plural verb "are".

The list of items _____ in the cupboard.

• is
• are 
• were 
• have 

Answer: is

Explanation: "The list" is singular, so it takes the singular verb.

Neither the master nor the servants _____ interested in the gossip.

• is
• have 
• are
• has

Answer: are 

Explanation: What verb agrees with 

"servants", which is plural.

The news ____ quite exciting.

• are 
• have 
• is
• were 

Answer: is

Explanation: "News" is a singular noun, so it takes the singular verb "is".

There ____ a handbook of grammar on the table.

• is
• are
• were 
• was 

Answer: is

Explanation: "A handbook of grammar" 

is treated as a singular subject when proceeded by "there".

Either the maid servants or the peon ____ the keys.

• have
• has
• is
• are

Answer: has 

Explanation: The verb agrees with the closer subject "peon", which is singular.

Mr Sharma along with his colleagues _____ present in the seminar.

• is
• are
• was 
• were 

Answer: is

Explanation: The subject of the sentence is "Mr Sharma" which is singular, so the verb should be singular, so we use"is" instead of "are". 

The phrase "along with his colleagues" 

is a parenthetical element and does not change the number of the subject. In English grammar, the verb must agree in number with the main subject of the sentence, not with the intervening phrases.

Frequently Asked Questions About the rules of Subject Verb Agreement 

What are the 20 rules for Subject Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental aspect of English grammar, ensuring that subjects and verbs in a sentence harmonize in number and person. Below are 20 key rules with explanations and examples:

1. Singular subjects take singular verbs: 

    Example: "The cat runs fast."

    Explanation: "Cat" is singular, so the verb "runs" is also singular.

2. Plural subjects take plural verbs: 

    Example: "The cats run fast."

    Explanation: "Cats" is plural, so the verb "run" matches in plurality.

3. Subjects joined by 'and' usually take a plural verb:

    Example: "The dog and the cat are friends."

    Explanation: Two singular nouns joined by "and" form a plural subject.

4. Subjects joined by 'or' or 'nor' take 

   a verb that agrees with the nearest        subject:

    Example: "Either the dog or the cats are making noise."

    Explanation: The verb "are" agrees with the nearest subject "cats."

5. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs:

    Example: "Everyone is welcome."

    Explanation: "Everyone" is singular, so "is" is used.

6. Some indefinite pronouns can be singular or plural depending on context:

    Example: "All of the cake is gone." / "All of the cookies are gone."

    Explanation: "All" refers to "cake" (singular) and "cookies" (plural), so the verb changes accordingly.

7. Collective nouns usually take a singular verb:

   Example: "The team wins the match."

   Explanation: "Team" is singular when acting as a unit.

8. Titles of books, movies, and other works take singular verbs:

    Example: "The Chronicles of Narnia is a popular book series."

    Explanation: Titles are treated as singular entities.

9. Numbers used as nouns can take singular or plural verbs depending on meaning:

    Example: "Five dollars is a lot for a coffee." / "Five dollars were scattered on the floor."

    Explanation: "Five dollars" as a single amount is singular, but as separate entities is plural.

10. The phrase "the number of" is singular, while "a number of" is plural:

    Example: "The number of students is increasing." / "A number of students are absent."

    Explanation: "The number" refers to a singular quantity, while "a number" indicates multiple individuals.

11. Subjects followed by additional phrases do not change number:

     Example: "The bouquet of roses smells lovely."

     Explanation: The subject "bouquet" is singular despite the plural phrase "of roses."

12. Inverted sentences still require subject-verb agreement:

     Example: "There are many reasons for the delay."

     Explanation: "Reasons" is the subject, so the verb "are" is plural.

13. When the subject is a relative pronoun, the verb agrees with the antecedent:

     Example: "She is one of those people who enjoy reading."

     Explanation: "People" is plural, so "enjoy" is plural.

14. When words indicate portions, the object of the preposition determines the verb:

     Example: "Some of the pie is left."/ "Some of the pies are left."

     Explanation: "Pie" is singular, while "pies" is plural, affecting verb choice.

15. Subjects with "each," "every," or "no" take singular verbs:

    Example: "Each student has a book."

    Explanation: "Each" makes the subject singular.

16. With uncountable nouns, use singular verbs:

    Example: "The information is accurate."

    Explanation: "Information" is uncountable, thus singular.

17. Fractions and percentages depend on the noun they describe:

   Example: "Two thirds of the cake is gone." / "Two thirds of the cookies are gone."

    Explanation: "Cake" is singular, "cookies" are plural.

18. The phrase "more than one" takes a singular verb:

     Example: "More than one student has tried."

     Explanation: Despite indicating plurality, the phrase is treated as singular.

19. Subjects that express periods of time, amounts of money, and distances use singular verbs:

    Example: "Ten miles is a long walk."

    Explanation: The distance is considered as a single unit.

20. When using "none," the verb can be singular or plural based on context:

     Example: "None of the cake is left." / "None of the students are here."

     Explanation: "Cake" is singular, "students" are plural, affecting verb agreement.

Understanding and applying these rules helps ensure grammatical correctness and clarity in writing.

What is the easiest way to understand Subject Verb Agreement in English Grammar?

Understanding subject-verb agreement in English grammar can be simplified by focusing on the basic rule: the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. This means that a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. For instance, consider the sentence “The cat runs fast.” Here, "cat" is a singular subject, and "runs" is a singular verb. Conversely, in the sentence “The cats run fast,” "cats" is a plural subject, and "run" is a plural verb.

To further illustrate, let’s go through some examples:

1. Singular: "She writes every day." (The singular subject "she" pairs with the singular verb "writes.")

2. Plural: "They write every day." (The plural subject "they" pairs with the plural verb "write.")

A common area of confusion arises with subjects that are separated from the verb by additional phrases or clauses, such as in “The bouquet of flowers smells lovely.” Despite the phrase "of flowers," the subject "bouquet" is singular, so the verb "smells" is also singular.

Another point to consider is with collective nouns or indefinite pronouns. Words like "everyone" or "team" may sound plural but are treated as singular, as in "Everyone is invited to the meeting" or "The team wins the match."

By keeping these rules and examples in mind, you can master subject-verb agreement with ease. Always identify the true subject of the sentence and ensure it matches the verb in number, regardless of intervening words or phrases.

Why is "Subject - Verb Agreement" so confusing in English Grammar?

Subject-verb agreement can be confusing due to the complexities and nuances of English grammar. Essentially, it requires that the verb agrees in number with its subject. This seems straightforward, but English includes many exceptions and irregularities that complicate this rule. 

For instance, singular subjects take singular verbs, while plural subjects take plural verbs. However, confusion often arises with collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, and compound subjects.

Consider the sentence: “The team wins the match.” Here, "team" is a collective noun that is singular in form but can imply multiple members, leading to potential confusion. Now, take the sentence: “Each of the players runs fast.” Although "players" is plural, the word "each" makes the subject singular, so the verb "runs" is also singular. Furthermore, with compound subjects connected by “and,” such as “The cat and the dog are playful,” the verb is plural. However, when using “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the subject closest to it, e.g., “Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.”

Such intricacies require careful attention and practice to master, often leading to confusion, especially for non-native speakers or in complex sentences.

Bookmark 📑 this article, practice consistently, and share the link with your "SSC Preparation Group".

Mastering the topic "Subject - Verb Agreement is essential for cracking the  competition.To ace the competitive exam, regular practice and understanding grammatical rules will help you avoid common mistakes and improve accuracy, speed.

Knowing the rules is not sufficient!

The real challenge in SSC CGL is applying Subject - Verb Agreement (rules) correctly while solving mocks and final exam (MCQs).