Introduction:
Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule that governs the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. In English grammar, the subject is the person, place, or thing that performs the action described by the verb. The verb, on the other hand, is the word that expresses the action, occurrence, or state of being in a sentence. To have a grammatically correct sentence, the subject and the verb must agree in number and person.
Definition:
Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that governs the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence. It refers to the fact that the verb must agree with the subject regarding number and person. In other words, a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb.
For example, “The dog barks” is a grammatically correct sentence because the singular subject “dog” requires a singular verb “barks.”
However, “The dogs barks” is incorrect because the plural subject “dogs” requires a plural verb “bark.”
Similarly, “I am” is correct because the singular subject “I” requires the singular verb “am,” while “We am” is incorrect because the plural subject “We” requires the plural verb “are.”
Subject-verb agreement is an essential grammatical rule to follow because it helps ensure clarity and accuracy in communication. When the subject and the verb do not agree, it can lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Therefore, paying attention to the subject-verb agreement while writing or speaking in English is essential.