Agreement in Grammar: Subject and Verb
One of the most basic rules in grammar is the agreement between the subject and verb. This means that the verb used in a sentence should agree with the subject in terms of number and person. The subject of a sentence is the one doing the action while the verb is the action itself.
For example, in the sentence, «The cat meows,» the subject is «the cat» and the verb is «meows.» Notice that the verb used agrees with the singular noun «cat» in terms of number. In contrast, if there are multiple subjects in a sentence, the verb should be in plural form.
To further understand the importance of agreement between subject and verb, let`s discuss some common mistakes in subject-verb agreement.
1. Using plural verb with a singular subject.
When a singular subject is paired with a plural verb, it creates a grammatical error that can cause confusion to the reader. For example, «The company are hiring new employees.» The correct form should be «The company is hiring new employees.»
2. Using a singular verb with a plural subject.
This mistake involves using a singular verb with a plural subject which also causes confusion and makes the sentence incorrect grammatically. For example, «The team of players is practicing today.» The correct sentence should be, «The team of players are practicing today.»
3. Using an incorrect verb tense.
Using the wrong verb tense can also cause inconsistencies in the sentence which can affect the overall meaning of the statement. For example, «She eats ice cream every day.» The sentence is incorrect because the verb «eats» is in the present tense while the adverb «every day» indicates an action that happens repeatedly in the past. The correct version should be «She ate ice cream every day.»
In conclusion, understanding the subject-verb agreement is essential in expressing ideas clearly and effectively. It helps maintain consistency and coherence in writing, which is important in any form of communication. To avoid common mistakes in subject-verb agreement, it is always best to review and double-check the sentence structure before submitting any written work or publishing it online.