Subject Verb Agreement Number

Subject-verb agreement is one of the most common grammar rules that writers often overlook. It may seem like a trite issue, but it can significantly affect the quality of your writing. Correct subject-verb agreement number ensures that your writing is clear and easy to read, while mistakes in this area can confuse your readers and detract from the overall quality of your work.

So, what is subject-verb agreement? It refers to the fact that the subject of a sentence and the verb must match in number. In simpler terms, if the subject is singular, then the verb should be singular as well; if the subject is plural, then the verb should also be plural.

For example, if we take the sentence “The dog barks loudly,” “dog” is the singular subject, and “barks” is the singular verb. But if we change the sentence to “The dogs bark loudly,” then “dogs” is the plural subject, and “bark” is the plural verb.

It`s essential to pay attention to the subject-verb agreement number in your writing because it can affect the meaning of your sentences. For instance, consider the following sentence: “The team of football players is training hard.” In this sentence, “team” is a singular subject, and so the verb should be in the singular form. However, if we incorrectly wrote: “The team of football players are training hard,” it implies that the team is composed of singular entities, whereas a team is made up of multiple players, so the verb “are” is incorrect.

Here are a few examples of common subject-verb agreement number mistakes:

– “My family are arriving tomorrow.” This sentence is incorrect because “family” is a singular subject. It should be “My family is arriving tomorrow.”

– “The number of people who attended the concert were more significant than expected.” In this sentence, “number” is the actual subject, which is singular. It should be “was more significant than expected.”

– “Neither John nor his friends are interested in getting a flu shot.” This sentence is incorrect. Neither John nor his friends is the subject, which is a compound subject, and so, the correct verb should be singular. It should be “Neither John nor his friends is interested in getting a flu shot.”

In conclusion, correct subject-verb agreement number is crucial in good writing; it can affect the clarity of your writing as well as the meaning of your sentences. Paying attention to this basic rule can significantly improve the quality of your writing and help you to communicate your message more effectively.

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This post was written by thavranek