Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of grammar that must be followed in written communication. It refers to the matching of the subject of a sentence with the correct verb. If this agreement is not present in a sentence, it can result in grammatical errors that can confuse readers. Hence, it is important to understand the basic rules of subject-verb agreement, which are presented below.
Rule 1: A singular subject must have a singular verb, and a plural subject must have a plural verb. For example, « The boy plays » and « The boys play. »
Rule 2: When a phrase is between the subject and the verb, the subject remains singular or plural, and the verb matches the subject. For example, « The box of chocolates is delicious » and « The boxes of chocolates are delicious. »
Rule 3: Singular nouns that end in « s » do not take an additional « s » in the verb. For example, « The bus arrives » and not « The bus arrives. »
Rule 4: Collective nouns are singular, but they refer to a group of people or things. For example, « The committee agrees » and not « The committee agree. »
Rule 5: When there are multiple subjects joined by « and, » the verb must be plural. For example, « The dog and the cat play » and not « The dog and the cat plays. »
Rule 6: When there are multiple subjects joined by « or » or « nor, » the verb must agree with the closer subject. For example, « Neither the cat nor the dog is friendly. »
Rule 7: When there is one singular subject and one plural subject joined by « or » or « nor, » the verb must agree with the closest subject. For example, « Neither the cat nor the dogs are friendly. »
Rule 8: Compound subjects connected by « and » can be singular or plural, depending on their context. For example, « Gin and tonic is my favorite drink » and « Bread and butter are my favorite foods. »
Rule 9: Indefinite pronouns such as « everyone, » « somebody, » « everything, » and « nobody » must have a singular verb. For example, « Everybody knows » and « Nobody knows. »
Rule 10: When « each, » « every, » or « either » are used to refer to two subjects, a singular verb must be used. For example, « Each child has » and « Every child is. »
Rule 11: When « each, » « every, » or « either » are used to refer to more than two subjects, a plural verb must be used. For example, « Each of the children have » and « Every one of the children are. »
Rule 12: Words that end in « -ics » are singular. For example, « The mathematics is difficult. »
Rule 13: Titles such as « Mr., » « Mrs., » and « Dr. » should be ignored when deciding whether to use a singular or plural verb. For example, « Dr. Johnson and his wife are » and not « Dr. Johnson and his wife is. »
Rule 14: When using « there » as the subject of the sentence, the verb must agree with the noun following « there. » For example, « There are five apples » and not « There is five apples. »
Rule 15: Verbs ending in « -ing » can be singular or plural, depending on whether they refer to a singular or plural subject. For example, « The cat is playing » and « The cats are playing. »
Rule 16: When using « each other » or « one another, » a plural verb must be used. For example, « The students help each other » and not « The students helps each other. »
Rule 17: When using « here » or « there » as the subject of the sentence, a singular verb is used when referring to a singular noun, and a plural verb is used when referring to plural nouns. For example, « Here is the book » and « Here are the books. »
Rule 18: When a noun ending in « s » is used as the subject of the sentence, it can be singular or plural. For example, « The series has » and « The series have. »
Rule 19: When using « more than one, » a singular verb must be used. For example, « More than one student is » and not « More than one student are. »
Rule 20: The verb « to be » takes an auxiliary verb in interrogative and negative sentences. For example, « Is the book good? » and « The book is not good. »
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is essential in written communication, and it is important to understand the basic rules presented above. By following these rules, one can ensure that their sentences are grammatically correct and easy to read. As a copy editor, it is essential to pay close attention to subject-verb agreement to ensure that clients` writing is accurate and effective.