Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammatical rule that dictates that the subject and verb of a sentence must agree in number. Simply put, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
Here’s an example of subject-verb agreement in a sentence:
Incorrect: The group of friends is going to the movies.
Correct: The group of friends are going to the movies.
In the incorrect example, the verb ‘is’ does not agree with the plural subject ‘friends’. The correct sentence maintains subject-verb agreement by using the plural verb ‘are’ to match the subject ‘friends’.
Similarly, take a look at the following example:
Incorrect: Each of the students were excited to start the new semester.
Correct: Each of the students was excited to start the new semester.
In this example, the singular verb ‘was’ agrees with the singular subject ‘each student’. The incorrect sentence uses the plural verb ‘were’ which is not in agreement with the singular subject.
Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of good writing. Paying close attention to the singular or plural nature of a subject and selecting the appropriate verb can enhance the readability and clarity of any piece of writing. It is imperative for writers, editors, and proofreaders to master this rule to avoid confusing or misleading their readers.