Subject-verb agreement is one of the most critical rules in the English language. It is the concept of ensuring that the subject of a sentence and its verb are in agreement with each other in terms of number. In simple terms, this means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.
The basic rule for subject-verb agreement in simple sentences is straightforward. If the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb must agree with it in number by using a singular verb. Similarly, if the subject of the sentence is plural, the verb must agree with it in number by using a plural verb.
For instance, take the example of the sentence, “The dog barks at the mailman.” Here, the subject, “the dog,” is singular, and the verb, “barks,” is also singular, making it a correct sentence. However, if we change the sentence to “The dogs bark at the mailman,” the subject, “dogs,” is now plural, and the verb, “bark,” is also plural. This makes it a correct sentence as well.
One common mistake in subject-verb agreement is when the subject and verb are separated by a phrase or a clause. In these cases, it is essential to identify the true subject of the sentence and make sure the verb agrees with it in number.
For example, consider the sentence, “The book, along with the pen and paper, was on the desk.” Here, the verb “was” agrees with the singular subject “book” instead of the plural “pen and paper.” To make this sentence correct, we could have written, “The book, along with the pen and paper, were on the desk.” This revised sentence makes sure that the verb agrees with the plural subject “pen and paper.”
Moreover, subject-verb agreement is also affected by the use of collective nouns. Collective nouns refer to groups of people or things considered as a unit, and they can be singular or plural, depending on the context. When a collective noun is used, it is essential to decide whether the noun is being used as a single unit or as a collection of individuals.
For example, when we say, “The team is playing well,” we use the singular verb “is” because we`re referring to the team as a single unit. But, if we refer to the team as individuals, we use the plural verb “are.” For example, “The team members are all playing well.”
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a crucial rule in writing. It ensures that the written piece is grammatically correct and easy to read. As a professional, it is essential to know the basics of subject-verb agreement in simple sentences to edit articles effectively and deliver high-quality content.