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 with its verb. This means that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.

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When do we use a singular verb?

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We use a singular verb when the subject is singular (one person or thing). For example, 'The cat runs fast.'

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When do we use a plural verb?

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We use a plural verb when the subject is plural (more than one person or thing). For example, 'The cats run fast.'

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What is the rule for collective nouns?

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Collective nouns (like team, group, or class) are usually treated as singular when the group acts as a single unit. For example, 'The team wins the game.'

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How does the presence of 'each' affect verb agreement?

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When 'each' is used, it makes the subject singular, so we use a singular verb. For example, 'Each student has a book.'

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What is the rule for subjects joined by 'and'?

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When subjects are joined by 'and', they are considered plural, and we use a plural verb. For example, 'Tom and Jerry are friends.'

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What is the rule for subjects 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, 'Neither the teacher nor the students were ready.'

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

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Correct: 'The dog barks loudly.' Incorrect: 'The dog bark loudly.'

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What happens when the subject is a fraction or percentage?

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When the subject is a fraction or percentage, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it. For example, 'Half of the cake is gone.'

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What is the rule for indefinite pronouns?

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Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'someone', and 'anybody' are singular and take a singular verb. For example, 'Everyone is invited to the party.'