Quotes about Subject Verb Agreement
As a copy editor, one of the most frequent errors I come across is incorrect subject-verb agreement in written content. Proper subject-verb agreement is essential for clear and effective communication. To help you avoid making this common mistake, I’ve compiled some insightful quotes about subject-verb agreement.
1. “A singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.” – The Mayfield Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing
This quote highlights the basic rule of subject-verb agreement. To ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct, you must match the number of your subject with the appropriate form of the verb.
2. “When the subject is a collective noun, the verb may be singular or plural depending on whether the emphasis is on the group or on its members.” – The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
This quote emphasizes the importance of understanding the context of your sentence. When using collective nouns such as team, staff, or family, it’s crucial to pay attention to whether the emphasis is on the group as a whole or its individual members.
3. “When a sentence begins with there or here, the subject follows the verb.” – Grammarly Handbook
This quote provides a helpful tip for structuring sentences with there or here. These words are not the actual subject of the sentence, so you have to be careful not to let them dictate the verb agreement.
4. “Certain nouns always take a singular verb even though they may seem plural. Examples include money, politics, news, and mathematics.” – Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
This quote highlights some of the tricky nouns that can cause confusion in subject-verb agreement. Be aware that even though these words may look plural, they are always treated as singular in the context of a sentence.
5. “When the subject of a sentence is composed of both singular and plural words, the verb must agree with the closest word.” – Grammar Book
This quote provides a helpful rule for when the subject of a sentence features both singular and plural words. In this situation, it’s important to pay attention to the closest word to the verb to determine whether it should be singular or plural.
In conclusion, proper subject-verb agreement is essential for clear and effective communication in your written content. By keeping these quotes in mind, you can avoid making common mistakes and produce clean, grammatically correct sentences.