Concord

Definition

Concord refers to the agreement or harmony between different elements in a sentence, particularly concerning grammatical aspects such as subject-verb agreement and noun-pronoun agreement. This concept plays a vital role in ensuring clarity and coherence in language, as it establishes a relationship between words that contributes to the overall structure and meaning of sentences.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Concord is essential for maintaining clarity in communication; incorrect concord can lead to confusion or misunderstanding.
2. In English, singular nouns typically pair with singular verbs, while plural nouns require plural verbs to maintain proper concord.
3. Concord also applies to collective nouns; for example, 'The team is winning' uses singular concord, but 'The team members are winning' uses plural.
4. When using compound subjects joined by 'and', the verb usually takes a plural form, but when joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the closest subject.
5. Concord can be affected by phrases that modify the subject; for instance, 'The group of students are studying' is incorrect because 'group' is singular, so it should be 'is studying'.

Review Questions

• How does subject-verb agreement contribute to the overall effectiveness of written communication?
  • Subject-verb agreement enhances the clarity and effectiveness of written communication by ensuring that the relationship between subjects and verbs is clear. When the subject and verb agree in number, readers can easily follow the intended meaning without confusion. This coherence helps convey messages more effectively and maintains the flow of ideas within a text.
• Discuss the implications of noun-pronoun agreement on sentence clarity and coherence.
  • Noun-pronoun agreement is crucial for sentence clarity as it prevents ambiguity in references. When pronouns correctly match their antecedents in number and gender, it ensures that readers can easily identify which noun is being referred to. This alignment helps maintain coherence throughout a text and reinforces the reader's understanding of relationships between ideas and entities.
• Evaluate the impact of incorrect concord on effective communication and provide examples of how it can lead to misunderstandings.
  • Incorrect concord can severely impact effective communication by introducing ambiguity or confusion. For example, if someone says 'The team are winning,' it can mislead listeners into thinking there are multiple teams instead of one cohesive unit. Similarly, errors like 'Each student must submit their papers' can create uncertainty about whether individual students or a collective group is being addressed. These misunderstandings highlight the importance of maintaining proper concord for clear communication.

Related terms

Subject-Verb Agreement: A grammatical rule stating that the subject of a sentence must agree in number with its verb, meaning singular subjects take singular verbs, while plural subjects take plural verbs.

Noun-Pronoun Agreement: The principle that a pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it replaces) in number, gender, and person, ensuring clarity in references within sentences.

Grammatical Cohesion: The use of grammatical devices to connect sentences and phrases, contributing to the flow and unity of a text by ensuring that related elements are clearly linked.