As a copy editor, one of the most common mistakes I come across is subject-verb agreement errors. These errors occur when the subject of a sentence and its corresponding verb do not match in number. This results in awkward and unclear sentences that can affect the credibility of your content. In this article, we’ll discuss some practice sentences to help you master subject-verb agreement.
Practice Sentence 1: The dog barks loudly.
In this sentence, the subject is “the dog” and the verb is “barks”. Since the subject is singular, the verb “barks” also needs to be singular. If the subject were plural, we would use “bark” instead.
Practice Sentence 2: She runs every morning.
Here, “she” is the subject and “runs” is the verb. Again, since the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular. If the subject were plural, we would use “run” instead.
Practice Sentence 3: The students study hard for their exams.
In this sentence, the subject is “the students” and the verb is “study”. Since the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural. If the subject were singular, we would use “studies” instead.
Practice Sentence 4: My brother and I are going on vacation.
This sentence has a compound subject, “my brother and I”. When the subjects are joined by “and”, they become plural and require a plural verb. In this case, the verb is “are”.
Practice Sentence 5: Either the cat or the dog needs to be fed.
This sentence has a compound subject, but the subjects are joined by “or”. In this case, we choose the verb that matches the subject closest to the verb. Since “dog” is singular, we use the singular verb “needs”.
Practice Sentence 6: These books belong to me.
This sentence uses the plural subject “books” and the plural verb “belong”. It’s important to remember that the subject and verb must always agree in number, even if there are intervening words between them.
By practicing these sentences, you can strengthen your understanding of subject-verb agreement and avoid common errors in your writing. Remember to always double-check your work and make sure your subject and verb match in number. With consistent practice and attention to detail, you’ll be on your way to error-free writing.