ABSTRACT
If one of the subjects is a second person pronoun and there is no fi rst person pronoun, the verb will be in the second person plural form:
Toi et ton copain avez intérêt à nettoyer cette pièce avant que tes parents ne rentrent. You and your friend had better clean this room before your parents get back
Vous et vos amis devrez vous dépêcher si vous voulez prendre le train de 15 heures You and your friends will have to hurry if you want to catch the 3 o’clock train
If all the subjects are third person, the verb will be in a third person plural form:
Jeanne et Suzanne sont venues toutes les deux Jeanne and Suzanne both came
Le groupe Alsthom et le groupe GEC sont arrivés à un accord pour le développement d’une nouvelle locomotive Alsthom and GEC have reached agreement on the development of a new train
(See also Chapter 3.3.5 for coordinated stressed pronouns.)
French tends to make a distinction between the two kinds of meaning which may be conveyed by these methods of coordination. If the meaning emphasizes the individual and does not ‘add them together’, the verb may well be singular:
Ni Simon ni Steven n’a pu me dire où se trouvaient les autres Neither Simon nor Steven was able to tell me where the others were
C’est soit lui soit sa sœur qui doit te téléphoner Either he or his sister must be responsible for telephoning you
If, on the other hand, the intention is to consider the two elements as a group, the verb will be plural:
Ni Lord Byron ni Chateaubriand n’ont pu comprendre l’inutilité des rêveries romantiques Neither Lord Byron nor Chateaubriand could understand how useless romantic dreams are
The same principle underlies agreement with ni l’un ni l’autre. Where they are ‘additive’ the verb is likely to be plural, where they act as ‘alternative individuals’ the verb is likely to be singular:
Ni Alberte ni Suzanne n’avaient pu rencontrer le peintre Neither Alberte nor Suzanne managed to meet the painter
Ni l’une ni l’autre n’ont pu rencontrer le peintre Neither the one nor the other was able to meet the painter
Ni Alberte ni Suzanne ne viendra Neither Alberte nor Suzanne will come
Ni l’une ni l’autre ne viendra Neither the one nor the other will come
9.1.3 Verb agreement with collective noun subjects Normally collective nouns which are singular require the verb to be in a singular form, unlike English where speakers use either a singular or plural verb form:
Le gouvernement a décidé de modifi er la loi sur la nationalité The government has/have decided to change the nationality law
Le comité a proposé une réunion pour 16 heures The committee has/have suggested a meeting at 4 o’clock
La famille passe les vacances de Noël en Bretagne The family is/are spending the Christmas holidays in Brittany
NB: Tout le monde always agrees with a singular verb:
Tout le monde vient passer le weekend chez moi Everybody’s coming to my place for the weekend
This may change, however, when the collective noun is followed by a plural complement. The verb may then be in the singular or the plural (although some speakers still have a preference for the singular):
L’équipe de footballeurs anglais a (or ont) dû quitter la ville très rapidement The team of English football players had to leave town in a hurry
La foule des supporters ont (or a) été rapidement dispersé(e)(s) The crowd of supporters were rapidly dispersed
Note that in English there is a preference for a plural verb in these cases.
