Subject-verb agreement is an essential grammar rule that every writer should be familiar with. This rule ensures that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in terms of number and tense. Failure to adhere to this rule could result in awkward and confusing sentences. To help writers improve their subject-verb agreement skills, here are some exercises to practice.

Exercise 1: Identify the subject and verb

Firstly, it is essential to identify the subject and the verb in a sentence. A subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about, while the verb is the action or state of being of the subject. For example:

The dog barks.

Subject: dog

Verb: barks

Exercise 2: Make the verb agree with the subject

Once you have identified the subject and the verb, the next step is to ensure that they agree in number and tense. If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural. For example:

Incorrect: The boy plays video games.

Correct: The boy plays video games.

Incorrect: The boys plays video games.

Correct: The boys play video games

Exercise 3: Practice with complicated subjects

Sometimes, the subject of a sentence can be more complicated, making it challenging to ensure subject-verb agreement. For instance, when the subject is a collective noun or a compound subject. In such cases, it is crucial to identify whether the subject is singular or plural. For example:

Incorrect: The team are celebrating their victory.

Correct: The team is celebrating its victory.

Incorrect: Mary and John is going to the mall.

Correct: Mary and John are going to the mall.

Exercise 4: Watch out for indefinite pronouns

Indefinite pronouns such as anyone, everyone, someone, nobody, etc. can also cause confusion when it comes to subject-verb agreement. The rule is that if the indefinite pronoun is singular, the verb should also be singular, and if the indefinite pronoun is plural, the verb should also be plural. For example:

Incorrect: Everyone were excited about the game.

Correct: Everyone was excited about the game.

Incorrect: Nobody likes to be criticized.

Correct: Nobody likes to be criticized.

Conclusion

Subject-verb agreement is critical to making sure your writing is clear and easy to understand. These exercises can help improve your subject-verb agreement skills and ensure that your writing is grammatically correct. Keep practicing, and you`ll soon become a master of subject-verb agreement.