Verb agreement, also referred to as subject-verb agreement, is a grammatical concept that ensures the verb in a sentence matches in number and person with its subject. When the subject is singular, the verb must be in the singular form, and when the subject is plural, the verb must be in the plural form.

 

Here’s a detailed explanation of verb agreement:

 

Singular Subject and Singular Verb:

 

When the subject of a sentence is singular, referring to one person, thing, or entity, the verb should also be in the singular form.

Example:

“She walks to school every day.” (The singular subject “she” agrees with the singular verb “walks.”)

 

Plural Subject and Plural Verb:

 

When the subject of a sentence is plural, referring to more than one person, thing, or entity, the verb should be in the plural form.

Example:

“They walk to school every day.” (The plural subject “they” agrees with the plural verb “walk.”)

 

Examples of Subject-Verb Agreement:

 

Singular subject with singular verb:

“The dog barks at strangers.”

“He eats breakfast every morning.”

 

Plural subject with plural verb:

“The dogs bark at strangers.”

“They eat breakfast every morning.”

 

Exceptions and Special Cases:

 

In the third-person singular present tense, verbs usually take an “-s” or “-es” ending (e.g., “he runs,” “she watches”). However, some verbs are irregular and do not follow this pattern (e.g., “he has,” “she goes”).

Collective nouns (e.g., team, family) can be treated as singular or plural depending on the context and intended meaning.

Indefinite pronouns (e.g., everyone, somebody) are typically treated as singular, even though they may refer to multiple individuals.

 

Proper subject-verb agreement ensures grammatical accuracy and clarity in both writing and speaking. It helps maintain the logical connection between the subject and the verb, making sentences more coherent and understandable.