Grammar and punctuation are essential elements in written communication, regardless if it’s academic, professional, or personal. One common mistake most writers make is subject-verb agreement, which can result in a miscommunication of your message. Agreement errors happen when the verb tense or the noun and verb don’t match in singular or plural form. The best way to avoid this error is to review what you`ve written several times before publishing it. In this article, we’ll go through common agreement errors and how to fix them.
1. Noun-Verb Agreement
A noun that’s a singular subject should have a singular verb, just like a plural noun needs a plural verb. Take these examples:
Incorrect: The group of students are late.
Correct: The group of students is late.
Incorrect: The dogs barks loudly.
Correct: The dogs bark loudly.
2. Indefinite Pronoun Agreement
An indefinite pronoun refers to an object or a person that hasn’t been specifically identified. This can make it challenging to determine if the noun or verb is singular or plural. Watch out for these indefinite pronouns: everybody, each, anyone, everybody, someone, everything, nothing, nobody, etc.
Incorrect: Everyone are intelligent in their own way.
Correct: Everyone is intelligent in their own way.
Incorrect: Somebody wants to attend the meeting.
Correct: Somebody want to attend the meeting.
3. Compound Subject Agreement
A compound subject refers to two or more nouns being the subject of a sentence. The verb should agree with the compound subject, whether it’s singular or plural.
Incorrect: The cat and the dog was sleeping.
Correct: The cat and the dog were sleeping.
Incorrect: The song and the dance is wonderful.
Correct: The song and the dance are wonderful.
4. Collective Noun Agreement
A collective noun refers to a group of individuals. A noun can be singular or plural based on whether it’s a collective noun or not.
Incorrect: The team is playing well.
Correct: The team are playing well.
Incorrect: The family are going to the beach.
Correct: The family is going to the beach.
In conclusion, grammatical errors can hurt your writing, and subject-verb agreement errors can change the meaning of your message. As a writer, make a habit of proofreading and editing your work to avoid these errors. By paying attention to detail and following the guidelines mentioned in this article, you’ll be able to write clear, concise, and grammatically correct content.
