How Important Is Subject Verb Agreement in Constructing and Expressing Thoughts

Subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of constructing and expressing your thoughts. It is the grammatical rule that governs the usage of matching verb forms with their respective subjects in a sentence. When we write or speak, it is essential to convey our ideas accurately, and subject-verb agreement plays a vital role in doing so. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of subject-verb agreement in constructing and expressing thoughts.

Clarity in communication

The primary objective of any communication is to convey the intended message clearly and effectively. Failing to ensure proper subject-verb agreement can lead to ambiguity, confusion, and even a complete misinterpretation of the intended message. Consider this example of a sentence that lacks subject-verb agreement:

Incorrect: The team of players are ready to play.

Correct: The team of players is ready to play.

In the incorrect version, the subject `team` is singular, and the verb `are` is plural, creating confusion in the reader. The correct version uses the singular verb form `is` to match the singular subject, making the sentence clear and easy to understand.

Professionalism in writing

In the world of academia and professional writing, it is crucial to ensure that the writing adheres to the norms of the English language. Subject-verb agreement is one of the basic rules of English grammar that every writer should be aware of. Not following this rule can make a writer appear unprofessional and unskilled. Moreover, it can undermine the credibility of the writer and their work. Therefore, ensuring subject-verb agreement can make a significant difference in the professionalism of your writing.

Grammatical correctness

Correcting subject-verb agreement errors is often one of the first steps that a copy editor takes when editing a manuscript. Grammatical errors can distract readers and make them lose interest in the content. Additionally, it can take away from the credibility of the author and can cause readers to doubt the authenticity of the work. Therefore, ensuring proper subject-verb agreement is essential to the grammatical correctness of your writing.

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a fundamental aspect of constructing and expressing your thoughts. It ensures clarity in communication, adds professionalism to your writing, and is essential for grammatical correctness. As a writer, it is crucial to adhere to this rule to convey your message effectively and accurately. As a copy editor, correcting subject-verb agreement errors is one of the first steps towards improving the quality of the writing.