Singular Plural Subject Verb Agreement

Singular Plural Subject Verb Agreement: What You Need to Know for SEO Writing

As a professional, one of the most common grammatical errors I come across is subject-verb agreement. This is particularly important in SEO writing as it can affect the search engine optimization of a website. In this article, we will discuss what singular and plural subject-verb agreement is and how to use it effectively in your writing.

What is Subject-Verb Agreement?

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical rule that requires the subject and verb in a sentence to agree in number. This means that the verb should match the number of the subject in a sentence. If the subject is singular, then the verb should be singular. If the subject is plural, then the verb should be plural.

Singular Subject-Verb Agreement

When a sentence has a singular subject, the verb that follows it should also be singular. For example:

– The dog barks at the mailman. (singular subject “dog” requires singular verb “barks”)

– My sister plays basketball every weekend. (singular subject “sister” requires singular verb “plays”)

Plural Subject-Verb Agreement

When a sentence has a plural subject, the verb that follows it should also be plural. For example:

– The dogs bark at the mailman. (plural subject “dogs” requires plural verb “bark”)

– My sisters play basketball every weekend. (plural subject “sisters” requires plural verb “play”)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One of the most common mistakes people make with subject-verb agreement is when the subject and verb are separated by a prepositional phrase. In these cases, the verb should still agree with the subject, not the object of the preposition. For example:

– The group of students is studying for their exams. (singular subject “group” requires singular verb “is studying”)

– The boys in the band are practicing their instruments. (plural subject “boys” requires plural verb “are practicing”)

Another common mistake is when the subject appears to be plural, but in fact, it is singular. This often happens with collective nouns, which refer to a group of people or things as a single entity. For example:

– The committee is meeting tomorrow. (singular subject “committee” requires singular verb “is meeting”)

– The team is on a winning streak. (singular subject “team” requires singular verb “is on”)

Conclusion

Subject-verb agreement is an essential grammatical rule that can affect the clarity and coherence of your writing. In SEO writing, subject-verb agreement is particularly important as it can impact the search engine rankings of a website. By understanding the difference between singular and plural subject-verb agreement and avoiding common mistakes, you can improve the quality of your writing and enhance your SEO strategy.