Subject-verb agreement is a basic rule in English grammar that governs the relationship between a subject and its corresponding verb. The rule states that a singular subject should take a singular verb, and a plural subject should take a plural verb. However, this rule can be challenging to apply in certain cases and might lead to errors in writing.
To avoid such errors, it is essential to use a worksheet for subject and verb agreement. This worksheet can help writers identify the subject and the verb in a sentence, and ensure that they match correctly. Here`s how to use the worksheet.
Step 1: Identify the Subject
The subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun that performs the action or is being talked about. For example, in the sentence “The cat is sleeping on the couch,” the subject is “the cat.” In the sentence “The cats are sleeping on the couch,” the subject is “the cats.”
Step 2: Determine the Number of the Subject
Once you have identified the subject, determine if it is singular or plural. This will help you choose the right verb form. For example, “cat” is singular, and “cats” is plural.
Step 3: Choose the Correct Verb
Now that you know the number of the subject, choose the appropriate verb form that matches the subject. For example, in the sentence “The cat is sleeping on the couch,” the verb form “is” matches the singular subject “cat.” In the sentence “The cats are sleeping on the couch,” the verb form “are” matches the plural subject “cats.”
Step 4: Check for Consistency
Once you have chosen the verb form, check to see if it is consistent with the rest of the sentence. For example, in the sentence “The cat is sleeping on the couch,” the verb form “is” is consistent with the singular subject “cat.” However, in the sentence “The cats is sleeping on the couch,” the verb form “is” is inconsistent with the plural subject “cats,” and the correct verb form should be “are.”
Using a worksheet for subject and verb agreement can help writers ensure that their writing is grammatically correct. By following these steps, writers can identify the correct verb form that matches the subject and avoid errors that can confuse readers.