[Grammar] Help required to identify grammatical construct

[EnglishLearner007]

John works hard.
Employees work hard.

Notice works (plural) and work (singular). I would like to study more on the subject. Can you please let me know what this grammatical construct is called?

Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm not really sure what "grammatical construct" you are talking about. The sentences simply demonstrate two forms of the present tense of the verb "work". In the third person singular present tense, an "s" is added to the end to the verb. It has nothing to do with the addition of an "s" to the end of plural nouns.

 

[jutfrank]

Notice works (plural) and work (singular).

No! works and work are verbs in your sentences. Verbs cannot be plural or singular. Only nouns can be plural/singular.

In grammar, we say that John works hard and Employees work hard are third person. If you want to study more, search for this term.

 

[EnglishLearner007]

Thanks for the input. I think the 'grammatical construct' that I was looking for was 'subject-verb agreement.' I have found this web page to be useful.

@jutfrank: That web page does talk about singular and plural verbs. Please have a look.

 

[jutfrank]

@EnglishLearner007 -- I was just trying to be clear, not to be picky. The way the site you refer to phrases it is unclear as verbs cannot be singular or plural. It's the singularity/plurality of their subjects that determines their verb forms. The verbs 'agree' with the subjects.

@Piscean -- If we're going to be precise, it's the subject that we're really talking about when we say third person plural. The verb would be in the third person plural (form).