English Grammar - Verb: 'Person' and 'Number'

 

English Grammar

Verb: 'Person' and 'Number' 

In linguistics, "person" and "number" are grammatical categories that are associated with verbs. They help indicate the relationship between the subject of a sentence and the verb. Both person and number are important features of verbs in many languages, including English.

 

Person:

The category of person in verbs refers to the grammatical distinctions made to reflect the role of the subject in a sentence. In English, there are three persons: first person, second person, and third person.

 

First Person: The first person refers to the speaker or the group of speakers. It includes pronouns like "I" (singular) and "we" (plural). For example, in the sentence "I walk to school," the verb "walk" is in the first person.

 

Second Person: The second person refers to the person or people being spoken to. It includes pronouns like "you" (singular and plural). For example, in the sentence "You walk to school," the verb "walk" is in the second person.

 

Third Person: The third person refers to someone or something that is being talked about. It includes pronouns like "he," "she," "it," and "they" (singular and plural). For example, in the sentence "He walks to school," the verb "walks" is in the third person.

 

The person of a verb affects its conjugation or form. Verbs in English generally have different forms for different persons. For example, the verb "to be" has different forms: "am" (first person singular), "are" (second person singular and all persons plural), and "is" (third person singular).

 

Number:

The category of number in verbs refers to the grammatical distinctions made to reflect whether the subject is singular or plural.

 

Singular: The singular number refers to a single person, thing, or entity. For example, in the sentence "He walks to school," the verb "walks" agrees with the singular subject "he."

 

Plural: The plural number refers to more than one person, thing, or entity. For example, in the sentence "They walk to school," the verb "walk" agrees with the plural subject "they."

 

The number of a verb also affects its conjugation. In English, most verbs add an "-s" or "-es" to the base form (infinitive) in the third person singular. For example, "I walk," but "He walks."

 

It's important to note that not all languages have the same person and number distinctions as English. Some languages may have additional persons or different ways of marking person and number in verbs.

Rules

Here are some general rules regarding person and number agreement in verb conjugation in English:

 

First Person Singular: When the subject of the sentence is "I," the verb should be in the first-person singular form. For regular verbs, the base form (infinitive) is used.

For example:

I walk to school.

I eat breakfast every morning.

 

Second Person Singular: When the subject of the sentence is "you" (referring to one person), the verb should be in the second person singular form. For regular verbs, the base form is used.

For example:

You walk to school.

You play the guitar.

 

Third Person Singular: When the subject of the sentence is a singular noun (e.g., "he," "she," "it") or a singular noun phrase, the verb should be in the third person singular form. For regular verbs, an "-s" or "-es" is added to the base form.

For example:

He walks to school.

She plays the piano.

The cat meows.

 

First Person Plural: When the subject of the sentence is "we," the verb should be in the first person plural form. The base form is used for regular verbs.

For example:

We walk to school.

We enjoy hiking.

 

Second Person Plural: When the subject of the sentence is "you" (referring to more than one person), the verb should be in the second person plural form. The base form is used for regular verbs.

For example:

You all walk to school.

You play soccer.

 

Third Person Plural: When the subject of the sentence is a plural noun (e.g., "they") or a plural noun phrase, the verb should be in the third person plural form. The base form is used for regular verbs.

For example:

They walk to school.

The dogs bark.

 

It's important to note that irregular verbs may have different conjugation patterns and do not always follow the regular rules mentioned above. Additionally, verb forms can change in other tenses, such as past tense or future tense.

Exercise

 

1

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:

a) She __________ (cook) dinner every evening.

b) They __________ (go) to the beach on weekends.

c) I __________ (study) for my exams.

d) We __________ (play) soccer in the park.

e) He __________ (read) a book at the moment.

 

Answers:

a) She cooks dinner every evening.

b) They go to the beach on weekends.

c) I study for my exams.

d) We play soccer in the park.

e) He is reading a book at the moment.

 

In these sentences, the verbs are conjugated according to the subject's person and number. "She" (third person singular) takes the verb "cooks" (third person singular form). "They" (third person plural) takes the verb "go" (base form). "I" (first person singular) takes the verb "study" (base form). "We" (first person plural) takes the verb "play" (base form). "He" (third person singular) takes the verb "is reading" (third person singular form).

 

2

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses:

a) The dogs __________ (bark) loudly.

b) You __________ (need) to finish your homework.

c) She __________ (dance) beautifully.

d) We __________ (visit) our grandparents every summer.

e) He __________ (play) the guitar in the band.

 

Answers:

a) The dogs bark loudly.

b) You need to finish your homework.

c) She dances beautifully.

d) We visit our grandparents every summer.

e) He plays the guitar in the band.

 

In these sentences, the verbs are conjugated according to the subject's person and number. "The dogs" (third person plural) takes the verb "bark" (base form). "You" (second person singular/plural) takes the verb "need" (base form). "She" (third person singular) takes the verb "dances" (third person singular form). "We" (first person plural) takes the verb "visit" (base form). "He" (third person singular) takes the verb "plays" (third person singular form).