Subject-verb agreement means that the verb in a sentence must agree with its subject in number. This means:
* Singular subjects take singular verbs.
* Plural subjects take plural verbs.
Here are examples of subject-verb disagreement:
* Incorrect: The dog run in the park. (The subject "dog" is singular, but the verb "run" is plural.)
* Correct: The dog runs in the park.
* Incorrect: The children is playing in the yard. (The subject "children" is plural, but the verb "is" is singular.)
* Correct: The children are playing in the yard.
Common causes of subject-verb disagreement:
* Intervening phrases: Words or phrases that come between the subject and verb can be tricky. For example: "The box of crayons is on the table" (The subject is "box," not "crayons").
* Compound subjects: When two or more subjects are joined by "and," they take a plural verb. However, if they are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with the subject closer to it.
* Indefinite pronouns: Words like "everyone," "someone," "nothing," etc., are singular and take singular verbs.
To avoid subject-verb disagreement, always identify the subject of the sentence and make sure the verb matches it in number.