Subject-verb agreement is a critical grammatical concept that needs to be followed in written content. This concept refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb used in a sentence. The subject-verb agreement applies to all types of writing, including academic papers, blog posts, and social media posts. As a copy editor, it is essential to ensure that the content adheres to the subject-verb agreement. This article discusses some of the essential subject-verb agreement practices that should be followed while writing.

1. Singular subjects require singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs.

The simplest rule of subject-verb agreement is that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. For example, “The dog barks” is correct because the subject (dog) is singular, and the verb (barks) is also singular. On the other hand, “The dogs bark” is correct because the subject (dogs) is plural, and the verb (bark) is also plural.

2. Be careful with compound subjects

When two or more subjects are joined by “and,” the verb used should be plural. For example, “Tom and Jerry are playing football” is correct because the subject (Tom and Jerry) is plural, and the verb (are playing) is also plural. However, if the subjects are joined by “or,” the verb used should agree with the closest subject. For example, “Either Tom or Jerry is playing football” is correct because the closest subject (Tom) is singular, and the verb (is playing) is also singular.

3. Indefinite pronouns take singular verbs.

Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, everyone, somebody, nobody, etc., are always singular. Therefore, they require a singular verb. For example, “Everyone loves pizza” is correct because the subject (Everyone) is singular, and the verb (loves) is also singular.

4. Collective nouns can take singular or plural verbs.

Collective nouns, such as team, group, class, family, etc., can take singular or plural verbs depending on the context. If the collective noun refers to a single entity, a singular verb should be used. For example, “The team is playing well” is correct because the subject (team) is singular. However, if the collective noun refers to the individual members, a plural verb should be used. For example, “The team are happy with their performance” is correct because the subject (team) refers to the individual members.

5. Don`t be misled by prepositional phrases.

Prepositional phrases, such as “along with,” “as well as,” “in addition to,” etc., are often used to add information about the subject. However, they do not affect the subject-verb agreement. For example, “The teacher, along with her students, is attending the seminar” is correct because the subject (teacher) is singular.

In conclusion, the subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammatical concept that should be followed in written content. As a copy editor, it is essential to ensure that the content adheres to this concept. Following the above practices can help in ensuring that the content is grammatically correct and effective. Remember, clear subject-verb agreement makes writing easier to read and understand.