Subject-verb agreement is an important aspect of writing that many people often overlook. It is a fundamental rule of grammar that ensures that the verb used in a sentence agrees with the subject. In simple terms, the verb must correspond in number (singular or plural) with the subject of the sentence. This is essential to maintain the clarity and meaning of the sentence.
Errors in subject-verb agreement can make your writing appear clumsy, confusing or even grammatically incorrect. It can also undermine your credibility as a writer. Therefore, it is important to know some effective techniques for subject-verb agreement to write effectively and efficiently. Here, we will discuss the most useful techniques for subject-verb agreement:
1. Identify the subject and verb: The first and foremost technique to master subject-verb agreement is to identify the subject and verb of a sentence accurately. The subject is the person, place, or thing that performs the action of the sentence, and the verb is the action word that describes what the subject is doing.
2. Make sure the verb agrees with the subject in number: Once you have identified the subject and verb, ensure that the verb agrees with the subject in number. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular too. If the subject is plural, the verb should also be in the plural form. For example, “The dog barks” is correct, while “The dog bark” is incorrect.
3. Consider the meaning of collective nouns: Collective nouns such as team, group, and class generally take singular verbs. However, sometimes they can take plural verbs if they are viewed as a collection of individuals. For example, “The football team is playing tonight” is correct, while “The football team are playing tonight” is also correct.
4. Watch out for indefinite pronouns: Indefinite pronouns like everyone, somebody, and anyone can be tricky when it comes to subject-verb agreement. Most of these pronouns are singular, so the verb should also be singular. For example, “Everyone has their own opinion” is incorrect, and it should be “Everyone has his or her own opinion.”
5. Ignore the words between the subject and verb: Sometimes, a long and complicated sentence can cause confusion in determining subject-verb agreement. In such cases, it is better to ignore the words between the subject and verb and focus on their agreement. For example, “The man with glasses, who is a doctor, was speaking” should be corrected to “The man with glasses was speaking.”
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential part of writing that should not be overlooked. The above-mentioned techniques will help you improve your writing by ensuring that your verbs agree with their subjects. By practicing these techniques, you will be able to write clear, concise, and grammatically correct sentences.