Fill in the Blanks for Subject-Verb Agreement: A Guide for Writers
As a writer, you know how important it is to use proper grammar and punctuation in your work. One of the most common grammar errors that writers make is subject-verb agreement. This occurs when the subject and verb of a sentence do not agree in number, meaning they are either singular or plural. To help you avoid this mistake, here is a guide on how to fill in the blanks for subject-verb agreement.
First, identify the subject of the sentence. This is the person or thing that is doing the action in the sentence. For example, in the sentence „The cat chased the mouse,“ the subject is „cat.“
Next, determine whether the subject is singular or plural. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular as well. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. For example, in the sentence „The cats chased the mice,“ the subject is plural, so the verb „chased“ is also plural.
When the subject is a collective noun, such as a group, team or family, it can be confusing to determine whether the verb should be singular or plural. In this case, it depends on whether the group is acting as a single unit or as individual members. For example, in the sentence „The team is playing well,“ the team is acting as a single unit, so the verb „is“ is singular. However, in the sentence „The team are arguing among themselves,“ the team is acting as individual members, so the verb „are“ is plural.
Another tricky scenario is when the subject is joined by „or“ or „nor.“ In this case, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. For example, in the sentence „Neither the teacher nor the students were happy,“ the subject closest to the verb „were“ is „students,“ which is plural, so the verb must be plural as well.
Finally, when the subject is indefinite, such as „someone,“ „everyone“ or „anything,“ the verb should be singular. For example, in the sentence „Someone is knocking at the door,“ the verb „is“ should be singular.
By following these guidelines, you can avoid subject-verb agreement errors in your writing. Remember to always identify the subject of the sentence and determine whether it is singular or plural before filling in the verb. With practice, you`ll be able to write sentences with proper subject-verb agreement every time.