Basic Rules of Subject Verb Agreement and Their Examples

As a copy editor who has plenty of experience with search engine optimization (SEO), I understand the importance of crafting articles that are not only well-written, but also designed to attract and engage readers. This means paying attention to a variety of factors, including grammar rules like subject verb agreement.

Subject verb agreement is a key component of writing clear, concise, and effective sentences. Simply put, it refers to the way that the subject of a sentence (the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about) and the verb (the action that the subject is performing) must match in terms of number and tense. By following a few basic rules of subject verb agreement, you can ensure that your writing is both grammatically correct and easy to read.

Rule #1: Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs.

For example:

– The cat walks across the room. (here, “cat” is a singular subject, so it takes the singular verb “walks.”)

– The cats walk across the room. (here, “cats” is a plural subject, so it takes the plural verb “walk.”)

Rule #2: In sentences with compound subjects (when there are multiple subjects in one sentence), use a plural verb.

For example:

– The cat and the dog play together. (here, “cat” and “dog” are both subjects, so we use the plural verb “play.”)

Rule #3: When a sentence begins with there or here, the verb should agree with the subject that comes after the verb.

For example:

– There are five cats in the room. (here, the subject is “cats,” so we use the plural verb “are.”)

– Here comes the sun. (here, the subject is “sun,” which is singular, so we use the singular verb “comes.”)

Rule #4: For collective nouns (words that refer to a group of people or things as a single unit), the verb can be either singular or plural depending on the context.

For example:

– The team is playing well. (here, “team” is a collective noun, so we use the singular verb “is” to refer to the team as a single unit.)

– The team are all wearing different-colored jerseys. (here, we use the plural verb “are” to refer to the individual members of the team.)

By following these basic rules of subject verb agreement, you can ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and grammatically correct. Whether you`re writing for a blog, a website, or any other online platform, incorporating these rules into your writing can help you attract and engage readers while also boosting your SEO efforts.