Subject-Verb Agreement

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What is subject-verb agreement?

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Subject-verb agreement is the grammatical rule that the subject of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its verb.

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When should a singular verb be used?

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A singular verb should be used when the subject is singular, meaning it refers to one person, place, thing, or idea.

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When should a plural verb be used?

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A plural verb should be used when the subject is plural, meaning it refers to more than one person, place, thing, or idea.

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What is an example of subject-verb agreement with a singular subject?

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An example is: 'The cat eats.' Here, 'cat' is singular, so 'eats' is the correct singular verb.

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What is an example of subject-verb agreement with a plural subject?

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An example is: 'The dogs bark.' Here, 'dogs' is plural, so 'bark' is the correct plural verb.

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What happens when the subject is joined by 'and'?

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When subjects are joined by 'and', they typically take a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

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What happens when the subject is joined by 'or' or 'nor'?

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When subjects are joined by 'or' or 'nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, 'Either the cat or the dogs are outside.'

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How does the presence of collective nouns affect subject-verb agreement?

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Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on whether the group acts as a single unit or as individuals. For example, 'The team wins' (singular) vs. 'The team are arguing' (plural).

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What is a common mistake in subject-verb agreement?

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A common mistake is using a plural verb with a singular subject, such as saying 'The group are meeting' instead of 'The group is meeting.'

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How do indefinite pronouns affect subject-verb agreement?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone' and 'somebody' are singular and take singular verbs, while pronouns like 'few' and 'many' are plural and take plural verbs.