Correct subject-verb agreement can make all the difference between a clear, effective sentence and one that is awkward and confusing. Whether you are writing an academic paper, a professional report, or a blog post, ensuring that your subject and verb agree is key to conveying your message clearly and effectively.
Subject-verb agreement means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
For example, the sentence “The dog barks” is correct because “dog” is singular and “barks” is also singular. On the other hand, the sentence “The dogs barks” is incorrect because “dogs” is plural while “barks” is singular.
Incorrect subject-verb agreement can make a sentence difficult to understand or even change its meaning altogether. For instance, consider the sentence “The group of students was excited about the trip.” Here, “group” is a singular noun, so “was” is the correct verb form. However, if we were to change the sentence to “The group of students were excited about the trip,” we would be conveying that the group itself was excited, not the individual students.
To ensure that your sentences have correct subject-verb agreement, start by identifying the subject of the sentence. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular as well. If the subject is plural, use a plural verb.
It is also important to watch out for subject-verb agreement with compound subjects. In a compound subject, two or more subjects are joined by “and.” The verb used with a compound subject should be plural to match the number of subjects. For example, “Sarah and James are going to the movies” is correct because “Sarah and James” is a plural subject, while “is” would be incorrect.
Finally, pay attention to tricky subjects like collective nouns, which refer to a group of people, animals, or things as a single entity. Examples of collective nouns include “team,” “audience,” and “family.” When using a collective noun as a subject, the verb should agree with whether the group is acting as a single entity or as individuals. For example, “The team is working hard” refers to the team as a single unit, while “The team are all different ages” refers to them as individuals.
Correct subject-verb agreement is an essential component of clear, effective writing. With attention to detail and practice, you can master this fundamental aspect of grammar and elevate your writing to the next level.