When writing, it`s important to ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct and understandable. One common grammar mistake that writers often make is lack of subject-verb agreement. This occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree in number or tense, creating confusion for the reader.
To avoid this mistake, it`s important to understand the basics of subject-verb agreement. Simply put, the subject of a sentence is the person or thing that performs the action, while the verb is the action itself. In order for the sentence to make sense, the subject and verb must agree in number and tense.
For example, consider the following sentence: “The dog barks loudly.” In this sentence, “dog” is the subject, and “barks” is the verb. Both are in the singular form, which creates agreement between the two.
However, things can become more complicated when dealing with subjects and verbs that are plural or in different tenses. In these cases, it`s important to pay careful attention to ensure agreement.
For example, consider the sentence: “The dogs barks loudly.” In this case, the subject “dogs” is plural, but the verb “barks” is singular. This creates a lack of agreement that can confuse the reader. To correct this, the sentence should be written as, “The dogs bark loudly.”
Another common mistake is lack of agreement between subjects and verbs that are in different tenses. For example: “She runs to the store, but yesterday she walked.” In this sentence, the verb “runs” is in the present tense, while “walked” is in the past tense. To correct this, the sentence should be written as, “She runs to the store, but yesterday she walked.”
In conclusion, lack of agreement between subjects and verbs can create confusion for the reader and detract from the overall quality of your writing. By paying attention to subject-verb agreement, you can ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct and easy to understand.