Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of grammar that is often overlooked. As a copy editor with experience in SEO, I have come across countless articles that suffer from improper subject-verb agreement.
It is important to understand that subject-verb agreement refers to the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. A subject is a noun or pronoun that performs an action, while a verb is an action word that expresses the action being performed by the subject.
To ensure proper subject-verb agreement, it is crucial to note the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
For instance, consider the sentence, „The dog barks.“ Here, the subject is „the dog,“ which is singular, and the verb is „barks,“ which is also singular. If we were to change the subject to „the dogs,“ the verb would need to be changed to „bark“ to maintain proper subject-verb agreement.
It is also essential to consider the tense of the sentence. The tense of the sentence indicates the time frame in which the action is occurring. The present tense refers to actions happening at the moment, while the past tense refers to actions that have already occurred.
For example, „The boy plays with his toys“ is a sentence in the present tense with the singular subject „the boy“ and the singular verb „plays.“ However, if we change the tense to the past, the sentence would read, „The boy played with his toys,“ with the past tense verb „played.“
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is crucial in maintaining clear and concise communication in any piece of writing. As a professional, it is my job to ensure that all articles I work on adhere to proper subject-verb agreement rules to improve their readability and search engine optimization.