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Proper verb agreement is essential for clear and professional writing. It ensures that subjects and verbs match in number and person, making sentences easier to understand. This article provides tips for identifying and correcting common verb agreement errors.
Understanding Verb Agreement
Verb agreement means that the verb must match the subject in number (singular or plural). For example, “She runs” (singular subject and verb) versus “They run” (plural subject and verb). Recognizing the subject is the first step in ensuring proper agreement.
Common Errors in Verb Agreement
- Using a singular verb with a plural subject, e.g., “The cats runs.”
- Using a plural verb with a singular subject, e.g., “The dog chase the ball.”
- Ignoring intervening phrases that distract from the subject, e.g., “The teacher, along with the students, is ready.”
- Misidentifying compound subjects, e.g., “Neither the manager nor the employees is available.”
Tips for Correcting Verb Agreement Errors
Follow these strategies to improve your verb agreement skills:
- Identify the subject of the sentence before choosing the verb.
- Ignore phrases like “along with,” “as well as,” or “including” when determining the subject’s number.
- Check if the subject is singular or plural and match the verb accordingly.
- Read sentences aloud to see if they sound correct.
- Use grammar tools or guides to verify tricky sentences.
Examples of Correct and Incorrect Verb Agreement
Here are some examples:
Incorrect
“The list of items are on the table.”
Correct
“The list of items is on the table.”
Incorrect
“Neither the teacher nor the students was prepared.”
Correct
“Neither the teacher nor the students were prepared.”
Practicing these tips will help you spot and fix verb agreement errors, leading to clearer and more professional writing.