Verb subject agreement problems are common in written communication. It occurs when the verb does not agree in number with the subject, leading to confusion and misunderstanding.
A verb should agree in number with the subject of the sentence. If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.
For instance, “The dog barks” is correct because the subject “dog” is singular, and the verb “barks” is also singular. However, “The dogs bark” is correct because the subject “dogs” is plural, and the verb “bark” is also plural.
The most common verb subject agreement problems arise when the subject is a collective noun, indefinite pronoun, or separated from the verb by a long clause or prepositional phrase.
Collective nouns, such as team, group, or family, are singular but refer to a group of people or things. The verb should be in the singular form when referring to the group as a unit and in the plural form when referring to individuals within the group. For instance, “The team is playing well” is correct because the subject “team” is singular, and the verb “is playing” is also singular. However, “The team are taking their positions” is correct because the subject “team” is plural, and the verb “are taking” is also plural.
Indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, everybody, or nobody, are singular and should take a singular verb. For instance, “Everyone is invited to the party” is correct because the subject “everyone” is singular, and the verb “is invited” is also singular.
When the subject is separated from the verb by a long clause or prepositional phrase, it is easy to confuse the subject, leading to verb subject agreement problems. For instance, “The book, as well as the pen, belong to me” is incorrect because the subject “book” is singular, and the verb “belong” is plural. The correct sentence should be “The book, as well as the pen, belongs to me” because the subject “book” is singular, and the verb “belongs” is also singular.
In conclusion, verb subject agreement problems are easy to avoid if one pays attention to the number of the subject and the verb. Always remember that the verb should agree in number with the subject of the sentence. By avoiding this common mistake, you can improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.