Here's a breakdown of common concord rules:
1. Subject-Verb Agreement:
* Number: The verb must agree with the subject in number (singular or plural).
* Singular subject: Takes a singular verb. Example: *The cat sits on the mat.*
* Plural subject: Takes a plural verb. Example: *The cats sit on the mats.*
2. Pronoun Agreement:
* Person: Pronouns must agree with the noun they refer to in person (first, second, or third).
* Number: Pronouns must agree with the noun they refer to in number.
* Example: *The dog wagged its tail.* (Dog is third person singular, so the pronoun "its" is also third person singular)
3. Other Concord Rules:
* Collective Nouns: Nouns like "team", "family", or "committee" can be treated as singular or plural depending on whether they are acting as a unit or as individuals.
* Indefinite Pronouns: Pronouns like "everyone", "anyone", "someone", "no one" are singular and take a singular verb.
* Quantifiers: Phrases like "all of", "some of", "most of" can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to.
Examples of Concord Errors:
* Incorrect: *The team is playing well.* (Team is acting as a unit, so it should be singular: *The team is playing well.*)
* Incorrect: *Each of the students have their books.* (Each is singular, so the verb should be "has": *Each of the students has their books.*)
* Incorrect: *The cat are sleeping.* (Cat is singular, so the verb should be "is": *The cat is sleeping.*)
Understanding and applying concord rules helps ensure your writing is grammatically correct and clear to the reader.