Subject-Verb agreement is a fundamental rule of the English language that is crucial to maintaining the coherence and clarity of a sentence. In essence, it means that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number, which means that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. The rules of subject-verb agreement can get complicated, but once you understand the basic principles, you`ll be able to apply them more effectively.

Rule 1: Singular subjects take singular verbs

The verb used in a sentence should match the number of the subject. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. For example:

Correct: The dog barks at the mailman every day.

Incorrect: The dog bark at the mailman every day

Rule 2: Plural subjects take plural verbs

Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural too. For instance:

Correct: The horses gallop across the field.

Incorrect: The horses gallops across the field.

Rule 3: Compound subjects take plural verbs

When there are two or more subjects in a sentence that are joined by “and,” the verb must also be plural. For example:

Correct: John and Jane are great singers.

Incorrect: John and Jane is great singers.

Rule 4: Singular nouns with plural modifiers take singular verbs

When the subject of a sentence is a singular noun with a plural modifier, the verb must be singular. For instance:

Correct: A group of boys is playing football in the park.

Incorrect: A group of boys are playing football in the park.

Rule 5: Compound subjects with singular verbs are separated by “or” or “nor”

When two or more subjects are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. For example:

Correct: Neither the teacher nor the students are interested in the movie.

Incorrect: Neither the teacher nor the students is interested in the movie.

Rule 6: Indefinite pronouns take singular verbs

Indefinite pronouns like everyone, somebody, anyone, etc. are always singular, so the verb used with them should be singular. For instance:

Correct: Everyone is ready for the party.

Incorrect: Everyone are ready for the party.

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement comes down to ensuring that the verb used in a sentence matches the number of the subject. The rules mentioned above should help you get started, but there are always exceptions and nuances to be aware of. As an experienced copy editor, keeping these rules in mind will help you write content that is clear, effective, and grammatically correct, which is essential for effective search engine optimization.