As a copy editor, one of the common grammatical errors I come across is with the use of agreement verbs. These are verbs that must agree with their subject in terms of number and person. Essentially, the agreement verb has to match the subject of the sentence in terms of whether it is singular or plural, and whether it refers to the first, second or third person.
In English, the agreement verb is crucial to making sentences grammatically correct. However, it’s not always easy to identify agreement verbs, let alone use them correctly. In this article, we’ll take a deeper dive into the concept of agreement verbs and how to use them correctly.
Subject – Verb Agreement
To understand agreement verbs, it’s important to first understand subject-verb agreement. In English, the verb should always agree with the subject of the sentence. If the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb should also be singular. Similarly, if the subject of the sentence is plural, the verb should also be plural.
For example, we would say: “The cat sleeps on the mat.” However, if we are talking about multiple cats, we say: “The cats sleep on the mat.”
Person – Verb Agreement
Another aspect of agreement verbs is person-verb agreement. This refers to whether a verb agrees with the subject in terms of whether it is in the first, second or third person.
First person refers to the speaker (or the writer if we are looking at written communication). This means that if the subject of the sentence is in the first person, the verb should also be in the first person. For example, “I am eating lunch.”
Second person refers to the person being addressed (the reader or listener). This means that if the subject of the sentence is in the second person, the verb should also be in the second person. For example, “You are eating lunch.”
Third person refers to anyone or anything else that is not the speaker or the person being addressed. This means that if the subject of the sentence is in the third person, the verb should also be in the third person. For example, “He is eating lunch.”
Common Errors with Agreement Verbs
One of the most common errors when it comes to agreement verbs is when a writer forgets to properly match the verb to the subject. For example, a writer may write: “The cat sleeps on the mat.” But then, they might mistakenly write: “The cats sleeps on the mat.” In this case, the verb “sleeps” should be changed to “sleep” to match the plural subject.
Another common error is when the writer fails to match the verb to the correct person. For example, a writer may write: “She are a great friend.” In this case, the verb “are” should be changed to “is” to match the singular third-person subject.
Conclusion
Agreement verbs can be tricky, but with practice, they can become second nature. Remember, the verb in a sentence should always agree with the subject in terms of number and person. Keeping these basic rules in mind, you can ensure that your writing is grammatically correct and effective. As a copy editor, it’s my job to help writers perfect their grammar, so don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you’re struggling with these concepts.