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BSE ODISHA CLASS 10 • UTKAL MASTER STROKE

🌟 Class 10 English Grammar: Subject – Verb Agreement (Utkal Master Stroke)

⚡ ୧. Exam Shortcut & Option Elimination Trick (୫-ସେକେଣ୍ଡ୍ ପରୀକ୍ଷା ହ୍ୟାକ୍)

1. Bypass Intervening Phrases: When a phrase like "along with," "as well as," "together with," or a descriptive clause (starting with 'which', 'that') comes between the subject and the verb, mentally remove it. The verb must agree with the original, main subject, not with any noun in the intervening phrase.

  • Example: "The box of chocolates is empty." (Not 'are', because 'box' is the subject, not 'chocolates'). (Referencing page 6, rule 12a & page 4, rule 6)

    • 2. "There" Sentences' Secret: If a sentence starts with "There," the verb doesn't agree with "There" itself. Instead, it agrees with the noun that immediately follows the verb.

  • Example: "There is a book on the table." (Singular noun 'book'). "There are many books on the table." (Plural noun 'books'). (Referencing page 1, point 1a)

    • 3. Uncountable & Collective Noun Check: Certain nouns are always treated as singular (e.g., news, physics, furniture, information – page 3, point 5 & page 5, point 10) while others are always plural (e.g., police, people, cattle – page 3, point 4b). For collective nouns like committee or jury, check if they refer to a single unit (singular verb) or individual members (plural verb). This helps eliminate incorrect verb forms quickly. (Referencing page 2, point 4a)

    🧠 ୨. Memory Story & Rhyme Mnemonic (ସହଜରେ ମନେରଖିବା କାହାଣୀ/ଛନ୍ଦ)

    The King and His Minister's Pact

    Imagine the Subject of your sentence is a mighty King and the Verb is his loyal Minister. They have a sacred pact:

  • If the King is alone (singular subject), his Minister must act alone, with singular power (singular verb). He's like a solo dancer, ending his moves with a graceful 's' (e.g., walks, eats).
  • If the King leads a large army (plural subject), his Minister must command with collective strength, with plural power (plural verb). He's like a grand conductor, dropping the 's' for a powerful, unified performance (e.g., walk, eat).

    • They always move in perfect sync!

    Rhyme to Remember:

    "When the Subject is one,

    The Verb with an 's' is done.

    When the Subject is many,

    No 's' needed, not any!"

    (This rhyme is particularly helpful for present simple tense verbs.)

    ⚠️ ୩. The No. 1 Common Trap / Mistake Alert (୯୦% ପିଲା କରୁଥିବା ଭୁଲ୍)

    The Intervening Phrase Illusion

    The most common mistake students make is being tricked by words or phrases that come between the true subject and the verb. They often incorrectly make the verb agree with the noun closest to it, rather than the actual subject.

    Example from Textbook (Page 6, Rule 12a):

    "The teacher with all her students has come."

    Students' Mistake: Many would incorrectly write, "The teacher with all her students have come."

    Why it's wrong: They see "students" (plural) right before the verb and assume the verb should be plural.

    The Trap: The phrase "with all her students" is an intervening phrase modifying "teacher." The true subject is "The teacher" (singular), so the verb must be singular ("has").

    Another Trap (Page 4, Rule 7a):

    "Neither of the boys has got a prize."

    Students' Mistake: "Neither of the boys have got a prize."

    Why it's wrong: Again, "boys" (plural) is closer to the verb. However, "Neither of" makes the subject conceptually singular (referring to not one boy).

    Remedy:

    1. Identify the Subject First: Always ask "Who or what is performing the action?" or "Who or what is the sentence about?"

    2. Ignore Distractions: Mentally cross out or bracket any prepositional phrases (e.g., "of the apples," "with his friends") or dependent clauses (e.g., "which have been placed on that table") that separate the subject from the verb.

    3. Agree with the Core Subject: Once you've isolated the main subject, ensure the verb (number and person) matches it perfectly.

    🚀 ୪. 30-Second Real Life Connection (ଦୈନନ୍ଦିନ ଜୀବନ ସହ ସଂଯୋଗ)

    Imagine you're at a bustling street food stall with your friends. You're trying to order, and your choice of words matters!

  • You might say, "The samosa with extra chutney is delicious!" (Not "are delicious," because you're talking about one samosa, even with the "extra chutney").
  • Or, if your whole group wants to share: "My friends and I are really hungry." (Not "is really hungry," because "friends and I" makes the subject plural).
  • Later, you check your phone for updates: "The news about the local festival is exciting!" (Not "are exciting," because "news" is treated as singular).

    • See how getting the subject-verb agreement right makes your sentences clear and natural? It's like ensuring every ingredient in your dish matches perfectly – for a truly satisfying communication!

    🎯 ୫. The 1-Minute Visual Formula Box / Cheat-Sheet (ପରୀକ୍ଷା ହଲ୍ ପୂର୍ବ ରିଭିଜନ୍ ସାରଣୀ)

    Rule Category Subject Type Verb Agreement Example Ref. Page/Rule
    Basic Agreement Singular Subject (He, She, It, A book) Singular Verb He walks. A book is. P1 Intro
    Plural Subject (We, You, They, Books) Plural Verb They walk. Books are. P1 Intro
    Special Subject Forms "There" at start Agrees with Noun after verb There is a book. There are many books. P1, 1a
    "It" as introductory subject Singular Verb It is raining. P2, 2b
    Plural noun for quantity (time, distance, money) as single unit Singular Verb Fifty kilometres is far. Five rupees is not much. P2, 2
    Two nouns + "and" (single idea/object) Singular Verb Bread and butter is my favourite. P2, 3a
    Two nouns + "and" (separate entities) Plural Verb Gopal and his sister have come. P2, 3b
    Collective Noun (as a unit) Singular Verb The jury was unanimous. The committee has decided. P2, 4a
    Collective Noun (as individuals) Plural Verb The jury were divided in their opinions. P2, 4a
    Always Plural Nouns (police, people, cattle) Plural Verb The police have arrived. Cattle are grazing. P3, 4b
    Always Singular Nouns (news, physics, furniture, information) Singular Verb The news is bad. Physics is my subject. P3, 5; P5, 10
    "Either of / Neither of / None of" + plural noun Singular Verb Neither of them has come. P4, 7a
    "Each of / One of" + plural noun Singular Verb Each of the students was given a prize. P4, 7b
    "A number of" + plural noun Plural Verb A number of children are suffering. P5, 9c
    "The number of" + plural noun Singular Verb The number of sick children is increasing. P5, 9c
    Nouns with two parts (scissors, trousers) Plural Verb My trousers are torn. P7, 13
    "A pair of" (scissors, shoes) Singular Verb A pair of shoes was lying. P7, 13
    Clause as Subject Singular Verb That she is alive is good news. P6, 11
    Conjunctions & Phrases Intervening clause/phrase between S & V Agrees with main subject All the books which are on the table are mine. The teacher with students has come. P4, 6; P6, 12a
    "as well as / with / in addition to / together with" Agrees with first subject Ram as well as his friends likes football. P6, 12a
    "not only...but also / neither...nor / either...or" Agrees with nearer subject Neither you nor he has to go. Neither he nor you have to go. P7, 12b
    Verb in Relative Clause Agrees with antecedent It is you who have insulted me. It is he who has insulted me. P7, 16

    🏆 ୬. Most Frequent Board Exam Pattern (ବୋର୍ଡ ପରୀକ୍ଷାର ସର୍ବାଧିକ ପଚରାଯାଉଥିବା ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ - 10-Year Trend)

    Question: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given in brackets (is/are, has/have, was/were):

    1. The team, along with its coach, _______ (is/are) ready for the final match.

    2. Neither my parents nor my brother _______ (has/have) seen this movie.

    3. A pair of trousers _______ (was/were) bought for the trip.

    4. Statistics _______ (is/are) a difficult subject for many.

    5. A number of mistakes _______ (was/were) found in the report.

    ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ମାର୍କ ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ଆଦର୍ଶ ଉତ୍ତର (Step-by-Step Model Answer):

    Let's solve question 2 as an example:

    Question: Neither my parents nor my brother _______ (has/have) seen this movie.

    Step 1: Identify the Conjunction Type.

    The sentence uses "Neither...nor". (Refer to Page 7, Rule 12b).

    Step 2: Apply the "Nearer Subject" Rule.

    According to Rule 12b, when subjects are joined by "neither...nor", the verb agrees with the subject closest (nearer) to it.

    In this sentence, the subjects are "my parents" and "my brother". The verb blank is after "my brother".

    Step 3: Determine the Number of the Nearer Subject.

    The nearer subject is "my brother", which is singular.

    Step 4: Choose the Correct Verb Form.

    Since the nearer subject ("my brother") is singular, the verb must also be singular. Between "has" and "have", "has" is the singular form.

    Final Answer: Neither my parents nor my brother has seen this movie.

    Answers to all questions:

    1. The team, along with its coach, is ready for the final match. (Subject 'team' is singular; 'along with its coach' is an intervening phrase. P6, 12a)

    2. Neither my parents nor my brother has seen this movie. (Nearer subject 'my brother' is singular. P7, 12b)

    3. A pair of trousers was bought for the trip. ('A pair of' makes the subject singular, even though 'trousers' itself is plural. P7, 13)

    4. Statistics is a difficult subject for many. ('Statistics' is treated as a singular subject in this context. P5, 10)

    5. A number of mistakes were found in the report. ('A number of' is followed by a plural verb. P5, 9c)

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