Subject-verb agreement is an essential component of good writing. It involves ensuring that the subject and the verb in a sentence agree in terms of number (singular or plural).

To maintain consistency in writing, here are some strategies to ensure subject-verb agreement:

1. Identify the subject: To ensure subject-verb agreement, you must first identify the subject. The subject is typically the noun or pronoun that does the action in a sentence.

2. Identify the verb: After identifying the subject, identify the verb. The verb is the action that the subject performs.

3. Look at the number of the subject: Once you have identified the subject and the verb, look at the number of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural.

4. Be mindful of collective nouns: Collective nouns refer to a group of people or things but are singular in form. Examples of collective nouns include team, family, and committee. In sentences with collective nouns, the verb should agree with the noun`s meaning, not its form. For instance, „The team is playing well“ is correct, but „The team are playing well“ is incorrect.

5. Use plural verbs with compound subjects: Compound subjects refer to two or more subjects in a sentence. If the subjects are joined by „and,“ the verb should be plural. For instance, „John and Mary are playing tennis“ is correct.

6. Be consistent with indefinite pronouns: Indefinite pronouns, such as everyone, anybody, and someone, can be singular or plural. Consider the context of the sentence to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. For example, „Everyone is here“ is correct, but „Everyone are here“ is incorrect.

7. Check for subject-verb agreement in inverted sentences: Inverted sentences begin with the verb before the subject. For example, „Is the car parked in the driveway?“ Here, the verb „is“ agrees with the singular subject „car.“

Conclusion

Subject-verb agreement is crucial in ensuring clear and effective communication. Use these strategies to check for subject-verb agreement in your writing, and you`ll be sure to produce high-quality content that is easy to read and understand.