Subject-verb agreement is an important aspect of English grammar that can greatly impact the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. Simply put, subject-verb agreement means that the subject of a sentence and the verb that goes with it must match in number. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well.
Let`s take a look at an example of correct subject-verb agreement:
“The cat chases the mouse.”
In this sentence, “cat” is the singular subject and “chases” is the singular verb that matches with it. If we were to change the subject to a plural noun, like “cats,” we would need to change the verb to match:
“The cats chase the mouse.”
Here, “cats” is the plural subject and “chase” is the plural verb that agrees with it.
It`s important to note that subject-verb agreement can become tricky when dealing with compound subjects, where two or more nouns are joined by “and.” In this case, the verb should also be plural to match the combined subjects.
For example:
“The dog and the cat chase the mouse.”
In this sentence, “dog” and “cat” are both singular nouns joined by “and,” making them a compound subject. Therefore, the verb “chase” needs to be plural to match both subjects.
Ensuring correct subject-verb agreement in your writing can help improve the cohesiveness and readability of your work. By paying attention to this simple grammar rule, your writing will be more effective and easier to understand for your readers.