Sentence Harmony: Mastering Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement in English is a grammatical rule that states the verb in a sentence must agree in number with the subject. This means if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. For example, in the sentence “She walks to the store,” “she” is a singular subject and “walks” is a singular verb. However, in the sentence “They walk to the store,” “they” is a plural subject and “walk” is a plural verb.

To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, it is important to:

1. Identify the Subject and Verb: Determine the main subject and verb in the sentence to understand whether they are singular or plural.
2. Be Aware of Singular and Plural Forms: Know the singular and plural forms of subjects and verbs. For instance, most verbs add an ‘s’ or ‘es’ in the third person singular (he, she, it), such as “runs” or “watches.”
3. Watch for Tricky Subjects: Some subjects may seem plural but are actually singular, such as “mathematics” or “news.” Conversely, some subjects like “scissors” or “pants” are plural.
4. Pay Attention to Subject-Verb Distance: Sometimes, modifiers and phrases can separate the subject and verb. Ensure the verb agrees with the main subject, not with a noun in the modifying phrase. For example, “The box of books is on the table” (where “box” is the subject, not “books”).
5. Deal with Compound Subjects: When a sentence has a compound subject (two or more subjects connected by “and”), the verb should be plural. However, if the compound subject is connected by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the subject closest to it.
6. Consider Indefinite Pronouns: Indefinite pronouns like “everyone,” “someone,” “each,” etc., are singular and require singular verbs.

Avoiding subject-verb agreement is actually not recommended as it leads to grammatical errors. Proper subject-verb agreement is essential for clear and correct English sentences. ## Common errors writers make Subject-verb agreement can be particularly challenging for English language learners. Here are some common issues they face, with examples:

1. Singular vs. Plural Confusion: Learners often struggle with understanding whether a subject is singular or plural, which affects the verb form.
   1. Incorrect: “She have a cat.”
   1. Correct: “She has a cat.”
2. Indefinite Pronouns: Words like “everyone,” “each,” “somebody,” etc., are singular, but learners often mistakenly use them with plural verbs.
   1. Incorrect: “Everyone are happy.”
   1. Correct: “Everyone is happy.”
3. Collective Nouns: Words that represent a group, like “team” or “family,” can be tricky. In American English, they are usually singular, but in British English, they can be both singular and plural depending on whether the group is seen as a unit or as individuals.
   1. Incorrect (AmE): “The team are winning.”
   1. Correct (AmE): “The team is winning.”
   1. Correct (BrE): “The team are winning.”
4. Subjects Separated from Verbs: Phrases or clauses can separate the subject and verb, leading to confusion about the correct verb form.
   1. Incorrect: “The list of items are on the table.”
   1. Correct: “The list of items is on the table.”
5. Compound Subjects Joined by ‘Or’ or ‘Nor’: When subjects are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb should agree with the subject closer to it, which learners often miss.
   1. Incorrect: “Neither the teacher nor the students was ready.”
   1. Correct: “Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.”
6. Regular and Irregular Verbs: Some learners struggle with the different forms of regular and irregular verbs.
   1. Incorrect: “He go to school every day.”
   1. Correct: “He goes to school every day.”
7. Overgeneralization of Rules: Sometimes, learners might overapply a rule they have learned, leading to mistakes.
   1. Incorrect: “She do the homework every night.”
   1. Correct: “She does the homework every night.”
8. Confusion with ‘There is’ and ‘There are’: Choosing between “there is” and “there are” depending on the subject that follows can be challenging.
   1. Incorrect: “There is many reasons for this.”
   1. Correct: “There are many reasons for this.”
9. Titles, Company Names, or Other Singular Nouns: These are often mistakenly treated as plural.
   1. Incorrect: “Google have released a new product.”
   1. Correct: “Google has released a new product.”

Understanding these common issues can help language learners focus on particular areas of difficulty in subject-verb agreement and improve their English grammar skills.