As a copy editor who is familiar with the principles of search engine optimization, one of the most common mistakes I come across is subject-verb agreement. This aspect of grammar is fundamental but often overlooked, leading to awkward and confusing sentences that can negatively impact a website`s ranking. In this article, I will provide some examples that illustrate the importance of subject-verb agreement and how to ensure that your writing is accurate and professional.
First, it`s essential to understand what subject-verb agreement is. Simply put, it refers to the relationship between a subject and its verb, in terms of number and person. In English, verbs change their form depending on the subject`s number (singular or plural) and whether the subject is in the first, second, or third person (I, you, he/she/it, we, you, they). For instance:
– Singular subject, third person: She walks to work every day.
– Plural subject, third person: They walk to work every day.
– Singular subject, first person: I walk to work every day.
– Plural subject, first person: We walk to work every day.
As these examples show, the verb “walk” changes form depending on the subject it`s paired with. When the subject and verb don`t agree in number or person, the sentence becomes grammatically incorrect and confusing. Let`s take a look at some examples:
Incorrect: The dog and the cat chases the mouse.
Correct: The dog and the cat chase the mouse.
In this sentence, the plural verb “chase” agrees with the compound subject “the dog and the cat”, which is also plural. If we had used the singular verb “chases”, it would have disagreed with the subject, making the sentence incorrect.
Incorrect: The group of students is excited for their field trip.
Correct: The group of students are excited for their field trip.
In this example, we have a collective noun (group) followed by a prepositional phrase (of students). Although “group” is singular, it`s more appropriate to use the plural verb “are” to agree with the plural noun “students”. This ensures that the sentence is clear and accurate.
Incorrect: Neither the teacher nor the students wants to be here.
Correct: Neither the teacher nor the students want to be here.
Here, we have a compound subject (teacher and students) joined by the conjunction “nor”. In such cases, the verb agrees with the subject that is closest to it. In this case, “students” is plural, so the verb “want” is also plural.
Correct subject-verb agreement is crucial in SEO writing because it affects how well readers can understand your content, and in turn, how well search engines can categorize and rank it. To ensure that your writing is grammatically correct and professional, be sure to pay attention to subject-verb agreement. Always ask yourself if the verb agrees with the subject in terms of number and person, and make corrections where necessary. With practice, you`ll find that using correct subject-verb agreement will become second nature, and your writing will be more effective as a result.