Agreement of subject and verb is a crucial element of grammar that helps in the accurate communication of ideas. It refers to the matching of the number of the subject and the verb in a sentence. A singular subject should have a singular verb and a plural subject should have a plural verb. Failure to follow this rule can result in incorrect sentences that lead to confusion and miscommunication. In this article, we will dive into the concept of agreement of subject and verb with examples.

Singular subject and singular verb agreement

When a sentence has a singular subject, the verb must match it in number. For example:

1. The cat walks on the roof. (The singular subject “cat” matches with the singular verb “walks.”)

2. She sings beautifully. (The singular subject “she” matches with the singular verb “sings.”)

3. The flower smells lovely. (The singular subject “flower” matches with the singular verb “smells.”)

Plural subject and plural verb agreement

When a sentence has a plural subject, the verb must match it in number. For example:

1. The dogs run in the park. (The plural subject “dogs” matches with the plural verb “run.”)

2. The flowers bloom in spring. (The plural subject “flowers” matches with the plural verb “bloom.”)

3. The students study hard for their exams. (The plural subject “students” matches with the plural verb “study.”)

Subject and verb agreement with collective nouns

A collective noun refers to a group of people, animals or things. When a collective noun is used as a subject, it can be treated as either singular or plural. For example:

1. The herd of cows is in the field. (The collective noun “herd” is singular and matches with the singular verb “is.”)

2. The herd of cows are grazing in the field. (The collective noun “herd” is plural and matches with the plural verb “are.”)

3. The team is winning the game. (The collective noun “team” is singular and matches with the singular verb “is.”)

4. The team are celebrating their victory. (The collective noun “team” is plural and matches with the plural verb “are.”)

Subject and verb agreement with compound subjects

When a sentence has a compound subject, meaning two or more subjects, the verb must match the number of the subject closest to it. For example:

1. The cat and the dog play in the yard. (The compound subject “cat and dog” is plural and matches with the plural verb “play.”)

2. The book or the magazine is on the table. (The compound subject “book or magazine” is singular and matches with the singular verb “is.”)

3. The teacher, as well as the students, are participating in the event. (The compound subject “teacher and students” is plural and matches with the plural verb “are.”)

In conclusion, understanding the agreement of subject and verb is important to ensure clear and accurate communication. By matching the number of the subject with the verb, we can create grammatically correct sentences that convey our ideas effectively. Remember to pay attention to collective nouns and compound subjects, as they can affect the agreement between the subject and the verb.