Agreement between subject and verb is an important grammatical concept that can impact the clarity and correctness of your written communication. Essentially, the agreement between subject and verb means that the form of the verb used in a sentence must match the number and person of the subject.
For example, consider the sentence: “The cat sits on the mat.” Here, “cat” is the singular subject, and “sits” is the singular third-person present tense form of the verb “to sit.” This creates agreement between subject and verb, as both are singular.
However, if we change the subject to a plural form, we must change the verb form accordingly. For instance: “The cats sit on the mat.” Now, “cats” is the plural subject, and “sit” is the plural third-person present tense form of the verb “to sit.” This once again creates agreement between subject and verb.
It is important to note that subject-verb agreement can also be affected by the presence of intervening phrases or clauses. For instance, consider the sentence: “The cat, along with the dog, sits on the mat.” Here, it may be tempting to use the plural form “sit” to agree with the plural noun “dog.” However, the subject of the sentence is still the singular “cat,” so the correct verb form is still “sits.”
Similarly, compound subjects (where two or more subjects are joined by “and”) will take a plural verb form. For example: “The cat and the dog sit on the mat.”
Ensuring proper agreement between subject and verb is important for several reasons. First and foremost, it helps to avoid confusion and ambiguity in your writing. It also demonstrates a mastery of grammar and can help to establish credibility as a writer. Additionally, proper subject-verb agreement can also impact search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, as search engines may penalize sites with grammatically incorrect content.
In conclusion, agreement between subject and verb is a crucial aspect of effective communication. By ensuring that your verb forms match the number and person of your subjects, you can improve the clarity and correctness of your writing, while also demonstrating your expertise in grammar and language usage.