Subject-verb agreement and concord are essential aspects of good grammar, and they play a crucial role in effective communication. The basic rule of subject-verb agreement is that the verb must agree with the subject in number. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. The same applies to concord, which refers to the consistency of words in a sentence. In this article, we will discuss the rules of subject-verb agreement and concord and how to apply them properly.
RULES OF SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs: For example, “The cat is sleeping on the couch.” The subject “cat” is singular, and the verb “is sleeping” is singular as well.
2. Plural subjects take plural verbs: For example, “The cats are sleeping on the couch.” The subject “cats” is plural, and the verb “are sleeping” is plural as well.
3. Compound subjects connected by “and” take plural verbs: For example, “John and Sue are going to the movies.” Both John and Sue are the subjects, and the verb “are going” is plural.
4. Compound subjects connected by “or” or “nor” take a verb that agrees with the closest subject: For example, “Neither the cat nor the dog is drinking water.” The subject “dog” is singular, so the verb “is drinking” is singular.
5. Inverted sentences take singular verbs: For example, “Under the couch is where the cat is sleeping.” The subject “cat” is singular, and the verb “is sleeping” is singular as well.
6. Collective nouns take singular or plural verbs depending on the context: For example, “The team is practicing” (singular) or “The team are arguing over who gets to start” (plural).
RULES OF CONCORD
1. Adjectives and pronouns must agree in number with the nouns they modify: For example, “The blue car” (singular) or “The blue cars” (plural).
2. Verbs must agree in number with their subjects: For example, “John runs” (singular) or “John and Sue run” (plural).
3. Collective nouns can be either singular or plural depending on the context: For example, “The committee has made its decision” (singular) or “The committee are arguing over the budget” (plural).
4. Titles of books, songs, and movies take singular verbs: For example, “The Godfather is a great movie.”
5. Indefinite pronouns (such as someone, everyone, or no one) are singular and take singular verbs: For example, “Everyone is invited to the party.”
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement and concord are crucial for clear and effective communication in written and spoken language. To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, remember to identify the subject and use a verb that agrees with it in number. Similarly, for concord, make sure that adjectives, pronouns, and verbs agree in number with the nouns they modify. By following these simple rules, you can enhance the clarity and accuracy of your writing and avoid common grammatical errors.