Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule that requires the subject and verb in a sentence to agree in number. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. Here are some examples of subject-verb agreement:


Singular subject + singular verb:

The cat chases the mouse.


Plural subject + plural verb:

The cats chase the mice.


Singular subject + singular verb:

My friend is studying abroad.


Plural subject + plural verb:

My friends are studying abroad.


Singular subject + singular verb:

The book that I am reading is interesting.


Plural subject + plural verb:

The books that I am reading are interesting.


In the above examples, you can see that the singular subjects are paired with singular verbs and the plural subjects are paired with plural verbs. It's important to note that some subject-verb agreement rules can be more complex, especially when dealing with compound subjects, indefinite pronouns, and collective nouns. Here are a few examples:


Compound subject + plural verb:

My mother and father are visiting me this weekend.


Indefinite pronoun + singular or plural verb:

Someone is knocking at the door.

Neither of the boys is going to the party.


Collective noun + singular or plural verb:

The team is playing well this season.

The jury is still deliberating.


In these examples, the compound subject and collective noun are treated as plural subjects, while the indefinite pronoun takes on either a singular or plural verb depending on context. By understanding the rules of subject-verb agreement, writers can ensure that their sentences are grammatically correct and effectively convey their intended meaning. 

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