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Agreement of the Subject and Predicate

2022年1月9日

Agreement of the subject and predicate is a fundamental aspect of proper grammar in the English language. It refers to the idea that the subject and predicate of a sentence must agree in number and person. In other words, a singular subject requires a singular predicate, while a plural subject requires a plural predicate.

Why is it important to have agreement between the subject and predicate? When there is a lack of agreement, the sentence can be confusing and make little sense. It can also make the writer appear unprofessional and unskilled in their use of language.

To ensure proper agreement, it is important to identify the subject and predicate of a sentence. The subject is the noun or pronoun that the sentence is about, while the predicate is the verb that describes what the subject is doing. For example, in the sentence, “The dog runs in the park,” the subject is “dog” and the predicate is “runs in the park.”

When dealing with singular and plural subjects, it is important to keep in mind that a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb. For example, “The dog runs in the park” is correct because the subject “dog” is singular, and the verb “runs” is also singular. However, “The dogs run in the park” is correct because the subject “dogs” is plural, and the verb “run” is also plural.

It is also important to keep in mind the person of the subject when determining the appropriate verb. For example, a sentence that states “He walks to school,” uses the third-person singular form of the verb “walks” because the subject, “he,” is singular and in the third person. If the subject were “I,” the verb would change to “walk” to reflect the first-person singular.

In summary, agreement of the subject and predicate is a crucial aspect of proper grammar in the English language. It ensures clarity and comprehension in writing, and it shows a command of the language. As a professional, it is important to keep these rules in mind when editing content to ensure that it is professional and polished.