When a sentence starts with “one third of/ two thirds of/ three fourths of” plus plural countable nouns, we always use plural verbs
For Ex:-
- One third of the students is or are
- One third of the students are (correct)
- One third of the population is or are
- One third of the population are (correct)
- One third of the villages receives or receive
- One third of the villages receive (correct)
When a sentence starts with “one third of/two thirds of/three fourths of” plus singular uncountable nouns (knowledge, luggage, milk, work…), we always use singular verbs (is, has, was, and has been). When we use “one third of” with a singular countable noun, it represents quantity.
For Ex:-
- One third of the milk has been wasted.
- Two thirds of information is shared.
- Three fourths of work is done now.
- It is easy to understand one third subject verb agreement.
One Third/Two Thirds/three fourths of Exercises to Practice-
Results
#1. One third of my lessons …………… incomplete.
#2. Two thirds of the population ………… not getting enough food to survive.
#3. Three fourths of water ………. wasted every year.
(The word “water” is a singular uncountable noun; we use singular verbs with it)
#4. Two thirds of the books ………… rubbish.
#5. One third of music ………… not melodious.
(The word “music” is a singular uncountable noun; we use singular verbs with it)
