Faulty Subject-Verb Agreement Example
Subject-verb agreement is one of the most fundamental rules of grammar, yet it`s easy to make mistakes. One common error that many writers make is faulty subject-verb agreement. This happens when the subject and verb in a sentence don`t agree in number, which can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. In this article, we`ll examine some faulty subject-verb agreement examples and discuss how to avoid them.
The most basic rule of subject-verb agreement is that a singular subject requires a singular verb, and a plural subject requires a plural verb. For example:
– The dog barks. (singular subject, singular verb)
– The dogs bark. (plural subject, plural verb)
However, things can get more complicated when dealing with compound subjects, indefinite pronouns, and other tricky cases. Let`s look at some faulty subject-verb agreement examples and analyze what`s wrong with them.
Example 1: The staff at the hospital is friendly and helpful.
This sentence seems fine at first glance, but there`s a problem with subject-verb agreement. “The staff” is a collective noun that can be either singular or plural, depending on whether we`re referring to the group as a whole or its individual members. In this case, the sentence implies that all the staff members are friendly and helpful, which suggests that we should use a plural verb: “The staff at the hospital are friendly and helpful.”
Example 2: Each of the students in the class have their own laptop.
Again, this sentence may sound correct, but it has a subject-verb agreement error. “Each” is an indefinite pronoun that always takes a singular verb, regardless of the number of things it refers to. Therefore, we should say “Each of the students in the class has their own laptop.” Note that we use the singular verb “has” to match “each,” but we use the plural pronoun “their” to avoid gender bias and to indicate that each student has their own laptop.
Example 3: My favorite food are pizza and sushi.
In this sentence, the subject and verb don`t agree in number. “Favorite food” is a singular subject, so it should take a singular verb. However, the verb “are” is plural, which suggests that the subject is actually “pizza and sushi.” To fix this error, we need to rephrase the sentence to make the subject and verb match: “My favorite foods are pizza and sushi.”
To avoid faulty subject-verb agreement, it`s important to pay close attention to the number of the subject and choose a verb that matches. If you`re not sure whether a subject is singular or plural, try substituting a pronoun to see which one sounds more natural. And if you`re dealing with tricky cases like collective nouns or indefinite pronouns, consult a trusted grammar guide or ask a colleague for advice. By avoiding these common errors, you can make your writing more clear, precise, and effective.