Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of English grammar. It is crucial to ensure that the subject and verb in a sentence match in terms of person and number. This agreement brings clarity and coherence to the sentence, making it easier to understand and communicate.

To understand subject-verb agreement, let us first define what a subject and verb are. The subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about, and the verb is the action or state of being that the subject is doing or experiencing.

For example, in the sentence, “John walks to the store,” the subject is John, and the verb is walks. The subject is singular, and the verb is in the third person singular form, which matches perfectly.

However, subject-verb agreement can become more complicated when the subject is plural or when it is a collective noun, such as a team or committee, which can be singular or plural, depending on the context.

Let us take another example:

“The team of researchers is conducting a study.”

In this sentence, the subject is the singular noun, team. Although the team is made up of several researchers, it is considered a singular entity, and therefore, the verb should also be singular, as shown in the sentence above.

On the other hand, if we change the verb to the plural form, it would be incorrect.

“The team of researchers are conducting a study.”

This sentence sounds odd and confusing because the subject and verb do not agree in number.

In addition to singular and plural subjects, subject-verb agreement is also essential when dealing with compound subjects, indefinite pronouns, and words that indicate fractions or percentages.

For instance, when dealing with compound subjects connected by “and,” the verb should be plural.

“John and Mary are going to the store.”

With indefinite pronouns like “everyone” or “anybody,” the verb should always be singular.

“Everyone is invited to the party.”

When dealing with fractions or percentages, the verb should match the noun closest to it.

“Two-thirds of the population is overweight.”

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a critical aspect of English grammar that ensures clarity and coherence in writing. It is essential to understand this concept to avoid confusion and correctly convey the intended message. By mastering the rules of subject-verb agreement, you can produce error-free writing that is easy to understand and communicates your message effectively.