Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammatical rule that every student must know. Mastery of this rule will help improve your sentence construction, understanding of tenses, and ultimately, your writing skills. In class 7, you will learn about subject-verb agreement and how it applies to different types of sentences.
Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement:
Subject-verb agreement refers to the correct matching of the subject and verb in a sentence. This means that the verb must agree with the subject in terms of number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third) to make the sentence grammatically correct.
For example, if the subject is singular, the verb should also be in the singular form, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be in the plural form. Similarly, if the subject is in the first person (I/we), the verb should also be in the first-person form, and so on.
Rules for Subject-Verb Agreement:
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.
Examples:
– My brother is a doctor. (singular subject and verb)
– The boys are playing soccer. (plural subject and verb)
2. In compound subjects joined by „and,“ use a plural verb.
Examples:
– Tom and Jerry are watching a movie. (compound subject and plural verb)
– The cat and the dog are fighting. (compound subject and plural verb)
3. When the subject is separated by „or“ or „nor,“ use the verb that agrees with the nearest subject.
Examples:
– Neither the teacher nor the students were interested. (plural verb because students is the nearest subject)
– Either the cat or the dog is responsible for the mess. (singular verb because cat is the nearest subject)
4. Collective nouns such as „team“, „committee,“ or „family“ take singular verbs unless the members are acting individually.
Examples:
– The team is playing well. (singular verb)
– The committee are divided in their opinions. (plural verb because members are acting individually)
5. Indefinite pronouns such as „everyone,“ „someone,“ and „anybody“ are singular and require a singular verb.
Examples:
– Everyone wants to succeed in life. (singular verb)
– Somebody forgot to turn off the lights. (singular verb)
In conclusion, the subject-verb agreement is a crucial concept in English grammar that you should learn and practice well. Remember to pay close attention to the subject and verb match to ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct. By mastering this rule, you`ll be able to write better and clearer sentences that will communicate your ideas effectively.