Subject-Word Agreement Exercise: Improve Your Writing Skills
As a writer, it’s essential to ensure that your words convey the intended meaning. When it comes to grammar, subject-verb agreement is one of the most crucial aspects that you need to master. This is because errors in subject-verb agreement can disrupt the coherence of your sentences and confuse your readers. In this article, we’ll explore some subject-verb agreement exercises that can help you improve your writing skills.
What is Subject-Verb Agreement?
Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that states that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number. In other words, a singular subject must take a singular verb, while a plural subject must take a plural verb. For instance, the sentence “She walks to school” has subject-verb agreement because the singular subject “she” takes the singular verb “walks.” On the other hand, the sentence “They walk to school” has subject-verb agreement because the plural subject “they” takes the plural verb “walk.”
Why is Subject-Verb Agreement Important?
Subject-verb agreement is crucial to ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct and make sense. When you use the wrong verb form, it can change the meaning of your sentence and mislead your readers. For example, consider the sentence “The book on the shelf were interesting.” The use of the plural verb “were” with the singular subject “book” is incorrect, and it makes the sentence nonsensical. The correct sentence should be “The book on the shelf was interesting.”
Subject-Verb Agreement Exercise
Now that you understand the importance of subject-verb agreement, let’s dive into some exercises that can help you master this grammar rule.
Exercise 1: Identify the Correct Verb Form
In this exercise, you’ll be given a sentence with a subject and a verb. Your task is to identify whether the verb form is correct or incorrect.
Example: The students (is/are) studying for their exams.
Answer: The correct verb form is “are” because the subject “students” is plural.
Exercise 2: Rewrite the Sentence with Correct Subject-Verb Agreement
In this exercise, you’ll be given a sentence with incorrect subject-verb agreement. Your task is to rewrite the sentence with the correct verb form.
Example: The dog on the couch sleeps.
Answer: The dog on the couch sleeps.
Exercise 3: Choose the Correct Verb Form
In this exercise, you’ll be given a sentence with a blank space where the verb should be. Your task is to choose the correct verb form from the given options.
Example: The group of dancers ____________ at the competition.
A) perform
B) performs
C) performing
Answer: The correct verb form is “performs” because the subject “group” is singular.
Conclusion
Subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of grammar that you need to master to improve your writing skills. By practicing these exercises, you can identify and correct errors in subject-verb agreement and ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct and coherent. Remember to always check your writing for subject-verb agreement errors before submitting your work, whether it’s an academic paper or a blog post. Happy writing!