Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of the English language. It refers to the proper agreement between the subject and the verb in a sentence. The subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. The verb, on the other hand, is the action or state of being that the subject is doing or expressing. A proper subject-verb agreement is necessary to ensure clarity and coherence in writing. Here`s how to use subject-verb agreement correctly in your writing.

1. Identify the subject of the sentence

Before you can determine the appropriate verb to use, you must first identify the subject of the sentence. This step is particularly important in sentences where the subject and verb are separated by other words or phrases.

2. Ensure that the verb agrees with the subject in number

The verb must agree with the subject in number. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular as well, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural too. For example, “The cat runs,” is correct, but “The cat run,” is incorrect as the verb does not agree with the singular subject.

3. Pay attention to irregular subject-verb agreement

Some subjects have irregular verb conjugations, and it is essential to know them. For example, “Sheep” is a singular subject even though the noun is plural. In such a case, the verb used should be singular.

4. Watch out for complex sentences

Complex sentences have more than one subject and verb, and it is essential to ensure that they agree in number. For example, “The dog barks, and the cat meows,” is correct because both verbs agree with their respective singular subjects.

5. Check for subject-verb agreement in questions

Questions require subject-verb agreement too. The rule applies to both direct questions and indirect questions. For example, “Who is going to the store?” is correct, whereas “Who are going to the store?” is incorrect because the verb does not agree with the singular subject “who.”

Final thoughts: Subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of writing quality content. When writing, ensure that the verb agrees with the subject in number, watch out for complex sentences, irregular subject-verb agreement, and check for subject-verb agreement in questions. These tips will help you use subject-verb agreement correctly and improve the clarity and coherence of your writing.