Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of good writing. It refers to the agreement between a subject and its corresponding verb in a sentence. When the subject and verb agree, the sentence is said to be grammatically correct.
Here are some rules to follow for subject-verb agreement:
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs while plural subjects take plural verbs. For example, “The dog barks” (singular subject), and “The dogs bark” (plural subject).
2. In sentences with compound subjects (two or more), use a plural verb. For example, “John and Sarah love music.”
3. In sentences with compound subjects joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, “Neither the cat nor the dogs are friendly.”
4. When using collective nouns, the verb can be singular or plural depending on whether it refers to a single entity or individual members of the group. For example, “The team is in the locker room” vs. “The team are arguing among themselves.”
5. Indefinite pronouns such as anyone, everyone, someone, and nobody are always singular and take singular verbs. For example, “Everyone is happy.”
6. Some nouns that are plural in form, such as dollars, news, and scissors, are singular in meaning and take singular verbs. For example, “The news is bad today.”
7. When there are words such as “each” or “every,” the verb is always singular. For example, “Each of the students has a book.”
Following these rules will help ensure that your writing is grammatically correct and easy to read. So, always pay attention to subject-verb agreement when composing your sentences.
