Nominal agreement is the relationship established between word classes (names).
It's what makes nouns agree with pronouns, numerals and adjectives, among others.
Example:
These three wonderful works were forgotten in the library.
In this case, pronoun, numeral and adjective agree with the noun "works". "These" and not "these" works, a plural pronoun, since the sentence says that there are three and not just a wonderful work.
And why "wonderful" and not "wonderful"? Because the noun is plural and feminine, that is, everything is very well combined.
Nominal Agreement Rules
1. Adjective and a noun
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Example:
- What beautiful painting!
1.1. When there is more than one noun, the adjective must agree with the one closest to it.
Example:
- What beautiful painting and poem!
But if the nouns are proper nouns, the adjective must be plural.
Example:
- Underneath the Curls of Your Hair is a composition of great Roberto Carlos and Erasmo Carlos in honor of Caetano Veloso.
1.2. When there is more than one noun, and the adjective comes after the nouns, must agree with the closest one or all of them.
Examples:
- What painting and beautiful poem!
- What poem and beautiful painting!
- What beautiful painting and poem!
- What beautiful poem and painting!
2. Noun and more than an adjective
When a noun is characterized by more than one adjective, agreement can be done in the following ways:
2.1. Putting the article before the last adjective.
Example:
- I adore the food italian and The Chinese.
2.2. Putting the noun and the article that precedes it in the plural.
Example:
- I adore the foods Italian and Chinese.
3. Ordinal numbers
3.1. In cases where there is a number ordinals before noun, the noun can be used in both the singular and the plural.
Examples:
- the second and the third House.
- the second and the third houses.
3.2. In cases where there is a number ordinals after noun, the noun must be used in the plural.
Example:
- The houses second and third.
4. expressions
4.1. Attachment
The word "attachment" must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Examples:
- He follows annex the receipt.
- He follows attached to invoice.
But, the expression "attached" does not vary.
Example:
- He follows attached to invoice.
4.2. Enough(s)
4.2.1. When it has the function of an adjective, the word "quite" must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Example:
- We received a lot of phone calls.
4.2.2. When it has the function of an adverb, the word "a lot" does not vary.
Example:
- They sing a lot good.
4.3. Quite
4.3.1. When it has the function of an adjective, the word "middle" must agree in gender and number with the noun.
Examples:
- late, took half a glass of milk and ran away.
- late, took half a cup of milk and ran away.
4.3.2. When it has the function of an adverb, the word "middle" does not vary.
Example:
- He is kinda crazy.
- She is kinda crazy.
4.4. Any less
The word "minus" does not vary.
Examples:
- Today I have fewer students.
- Today I have fewer students.
4.5. It's forbidden, it's good, it's necessary
4.1. The expressions "it is forbidden, it is good, it is necessary" do not vary, unless they are accompanied by determinants that modify them.
Examples:
- Entry is prohibited.
- É prohibited to Entrance.
- Greenery is good.
- THE vegetable is Good.
- Patience is required.
- THE patience is required.
Read too:
- Verbal agreement
- Verbal and Nominal Agreement
- Verbal Agreement Exercises
- The biggest mistakes in Portuguese you have to stop making
Nominal Agreement Summary
Entrance Exam Exercises with Feedback
1. (Cesgranrio) There is inadequate nominal agreement in:
a) climate and unknown lands
b) unknown climate and land
c) unknown lands and climate
d) unknown lands and climate
e) unknown lands and climate
Alternative c: unknown lands and climate.
When there is more than one noun, in this case "climate" and "land", and the adjective comes after them, the agreement can be done in two ways:
1. Adjective agrees with all nouns. It is the case of:
b) unknown climate and land
e) unknown lands and climate
2. Adjective agrees with the closest noun. It is the case of:
a) climate and unknown lands
d) unknown lands and climate
2. (Acafe-SC) Check the alternative that correctly completes the spaces:
The entrance to the cinema was _____, but the film and drawing _____ made up for it, as we all left _____ .
a) expensive - presented - cheerful
b) face - presented - happy
c) expensive - presented - cheerful
d) dude - presented - happy
e) dude - presented - happy
Alternative d: dude – presented – cheerful.
- Dude: the adjective "dude" must agree with the noun "input".
- Presented: the adjective "presented" must agree with the noun "drawing", which is the closest. Another alternative would be to agree the adjective with all the nouns, passing it to the plural, "presented".
- Cheerful: the adjective "joyful" must agree with the pronoun "all".
3. (UFF) Check the option where nominal agreement ERROR occurs:
a) Mestre Amaro's wife seemed kind of annoyed.
b) Paying one hundred milreis, he would be even with the old man.
c) The saddler felt the new paper and note in his pocket.
d) Flowering hills and floodplains succeeded each other in the landscape.
e) The pieces of cane showed shades of emerald green.
Alternative b: Paying a hundred milreis, he would be even with the old man.
Correction: Paying a hundred milreis, he would be even with the old man.
This is because the adjective "quite" must agree with the pronoun "she".
As for the remaining alternatives:
a) Mestre Amaro's wife seemed kind of annoyed.
In this case, "middle" has the function of an adverb, so it doesn't vary.
c) The saddler felt the new paper and note in his pocket.
When there is more than one noun, in this case "paper" and "note", and the adjective comes after them, the adjective must agree with all the nouns. It would also be correct if the adjective agreed with the closest noun: The saddler felt the paper and the new note in the pocket.
d) Flowering hills and floodplains succeeded each other in the landscape.
When there is more than one noun, in this case "mountains" and "floodplains", the adjective must agree with the one closest to it.
e) The pieces of cane showed shades of emerald green.
This is a case of the plural of a compound noun. When the second element is a noun, in this case "emerald", the color is always singular.
