As a copy editor and SEO expert, it’s important to be knowledgeable about proper grammar usage, including verbal agreement. Verbal agreement, also known as subject-verb agreement, refers to the proper matching of subjects and verbs in a sentence.
When a sentence has a singular subject, the verb that follows must also be singular. Conversely, when a sentence has a plural subject, the verb that follows must also be plural. This may seem like a simple rule, but it’s often overlooked or misunderstood.
For example, consider the sentence “The dog barks.” In this case, “dog” is the singular subject, and “barks” is the singular verb. However, if we change the subject to plural, the sentence becomes “The dogs bark.” Here, “dogs” is the plural subject, and “bark” is the plural verb.
In some cases, however, the subject can be tricky to identify. For instance, in sentences that begin with “there” or “here,” the verb must agree with the noun that follows the verb.
For example, “There is a cat on the roof” and “There are cats on the roof” are both correct sentences. In the first sentence, “cat” is the singular noun that follows the verb “is.” In the second sentence, “cats” is the plural noun that follows the verb “are.”
It’s also important to note that when using compound subjects (subjects that are connected by “and”), the verb must be plural. For example, “John and Mary are going to the store” is correct, while “John and Mary is going to the store” is incorrect.
Verbal agreement may seem like a minor detail, but it plays a crucial role in ensuring clear, concise communication. Improper verbal agreement can cause confusion or undermine the credibility of the content.
As a copy editor, it’s your job to review content for proper grammar usage, including verbal agreement. By being well-versed in this rule, you can help ensure that content is polished and professional, while also improving its SEO ranking.
