Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammatical concept that every writer and editor should be familiar with. Essentially, subject-verb agreement refers to the need for the subject and verb in a sentence to match in terms of number. In other words, if the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb should also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well.
Correct use of subject-verb agreement is essential to ensure clear communication in writing, and it is particularly important for search engine optimization (SEO). When crafting content for online audiences, subject-verb agreement can affect the way that search engines interpret and rank your content.
To help illustrate subject-verb agreement, let`s take a look at some examples:
1. Singular subject and verb:
“The cat chases the mouse.”
In this sentence, “cat” is the singular subject, and “chases” is the singular verb that matches it.
2. Plural subject and verb:
“The cats chase the mice.”
In this sentence, “cats” is the plural subject, and “chase” is the plural verb that matches it.
3. Collective noun subject and singular verb:
“The team is practicing for the big game.”
In this sentence, “team” is a collective noun, but it is singular and requires a singular verb, which is “is.”
4. Compound subject and verb:
“The dog and the cat play together.”
In this sentence, “dog” and “cat” form a compound subject, so the verb “play” is plural to match both subjects.
5. Subject and verb separated by a phrase:
“The book, along with its sequels, is very popular.”
In this sentence, “book” is the singular subject. Even though the phrase “along with its sequels” is in between the subject and the verb, it does not change the subject-verb agreement, so the singular verb “is” is used.
By ensuring that your writing follows the correct subject-verb agreement rules, you can create content that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Additionally, paying close attention to subject-verb agreement can help to improve your SEO by ensuring that search engines can correctly interpret and rank your content.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential concept that every writer and editor should be familiar with. By using the examples above as a guide, you can ensure that your writing follows the correct subject-verb agreement rules, creating content that is both effective and optimized for SEO.
