Subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of good writing. This agreement refers to the grammatical rule that requires the subject and the verb in a sentence to agree in number and person. When the subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.
Here are some of the essential parts of subject-verb agreement that you should consider as a writer:
1. Singular subject: A singular subject takes a singular verb. For instance, “The cat chases the mice” is correct, while “The cat chase the mice” is incorrect.
2. Plural subject: A plural subject takes a plural verb. For example, “The cats chase the mice” is correct, while “The cats chases the mice” is incorrect.
3. Indefinite pronoun: An indefinite pronoun such as ‘everyone,’ ‘someone,’ ‘anyone,’ and ‘no one’ should be paired with a singular verb. For example, “Everyone is here” is correct, while “Everyone are here” is incorrect.
4. Collective nouns: Collective nouns that refer to a group of individuals, such as ‘family’ or ‘team,’ can be either singular or plural depending on the context. For example, “The team is playing well” is correct while “The team are playing well” is incorrect.
5. Compound subject: When a sentence has two or more subjects joined by ‘and,’ it takes a plural verb. For example, “Mary and John are going to the movies” is correct, while “Mary and John is going to the movies” is incorrect.
6. Subjects joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor’: When two subjects are joined by ‘or’ or ‘nor,’ the verb agrees with the subject closest to it in number. For example, “Neither John nor Mary wants to go” is correct, while “Neither John nor Mary want to go” is incorrect.
7. Agreement with intervening phrases: When there are phrases or clauses between the subject and the verb, the verb agrees with the subject, not the intervening phrases.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in good writing. As a writer, it`s essential to pay attention to the number and person of your subject and ensure that your verb agrees with it. By following these essential parts of subject-verb agreement, you can improve the clarity and coherence of your writing.