Language/French/Grammar/Subject-verb-agreement-—-Verb-agreement-with-fractions
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Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject-verb agreement in French is the way to choose the correct ending for verbs in terms of grammatical persons, gender and number, depending on their subject.
Subject-Verb Agreement with fractions and percentages
When the fractions are subjects and have plural complements (present or implicit), the verbs agree with these complements:
- La moitié (des gens) ont voté
Half (of the people) voted
- Un tiers (de ceux qui étaient présents) ont parlé
A third (of those present) spoke
However, when the fraction has a singular complement (present or implied), verbs agree with the fraction:
- La moitié (de la population) a voté
Half (the population) voted
- Un tiers (de la maison) a été rénové
A third (of the house) has been renovated
Note: "les deux tiers" and percentages agree with plural verbs:
- Les deux tiers des électeurs ont voté pour la gauche
Two-thirds of the electorate voted for the left
- 33% ont voté pour la gauche
33% voted for the left
Note: In spoken or journalistic language "33% a voté pour la gauche" is often tolerated.
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