Sentence structure (Subject Verb Agreeement)

The Subject is the who/what performing the action in the sentence, and the Verb is the action in the sentence.

When writing a paper, it is helpful to keep in mind that verbs must always agree with the subject in both number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third).Generally, if the subject ends with an “s,” then the verb doesn't have an “s;” if the subject does not end with an “s,” then the verb will end in an “s.” Give it a try. When writing a paper, it is helpful to keep in mind that verbs must always agree with the subject in both number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). This type of agreement helps to ensure that your paper will be accurate, clear, and stylistically correct.Subject-verb agreement may seem like a minor grammar rule, but it plays a vital role in effective communication. This rule ensures that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number (singular or plural). Failure to follow this rule can result in confusing and unclear writing that can hinder effective communication. In this article, we will explore why subject-verb agreement is essential in communication.

Clarity

Subject-verb agreement is crucial in ensuring that sentences are clear and understandable. When the subject and verb do not agree in number, it can lead to confusion and misunderstandings. For instance, the sentence “The group of friends is going to the movies” sounds correct, but “The group of friends are going to the movies” is incorrect because “group” is singular, and “are” is plural. Such a mistake can lead to confusion about whether one or multiple groups are going to the movies.

Effectiveness

Effective communication requires proper subject-verb agreement. Communication is only effective when the receiver of a message understands what the sender intends to convey. Incorrect subject-verb agreement can make the message incomprehensible, and the intended meaning can get lost. When writing or speaking, proper subject-verb agreement ensures that the message is clear and easy to understand, making communication effective.

Professionalism

Proper grammar is essential in demonstrating professionalism in writing. It shows that the writer has taken time to proofread the document and pays attention to details. Subject-verb agreement errors can make a document look unprofessional, which can impact the credibility of the writer. In a professional setting, clear and concise communication is necessary for building trust with clients or colleagues.

SEO

Subject-verb agreement also plays a role in search engine optimization (SEO). SEO involves optimizing content to rank higher in search engine results. Search engines are constantly updating their algorithms to ensure that they provide the most relevant content to searchers. Poor grammar can negatively impact the ranking of a website. Proper subject-verb agreement indicates to search engines that the content is credible and valuable to readers, leading to improved SEO ranki

1. Sentence Structure:
Sentence Types

2. Sentence Types
•Simple
•Compound
•Complex
•Compound-Complex

3. Basic Elements of Every Sentence
SUBJECT PREDICATE

4. Basic Elements
Mary plays tennis.
SUBJECT PREDICATE

5. Simple Sentence

6. Simple Sentence
•A simple sentence has one subject and one
predicate.

7. Simple Sentence
We went to San Juan yesterday.
Observe how a simple sentence is constructed:

8. Simple Sentence
We went to San Juan .
Pronoun Verb
Simple subject Complete predicate
Prepositional phrase

9. SIMPLE SENTENCE
Mary plays tennis.
SUBJECT PREDICATE
one subject one predicate

10. Simple Sentence
play tennis.Tom and Mary
Compound Subject
&

11. Simple Sentence
play tennis and swim.
Tom and Mary
Compound Subject Compound Predicate
&
&

12. SIMPLE SENTENCE
with compound subject
Tom and Mary play tennis.

13. SIMPLE SENTENCE
with compound subject
and
compound predicate
Tom andMary play tennis and
swim.

14. Compound Sentence

15. Compound Sentence
•Acompoundsentencehasmorethanone
partthatcanstandalone(independent
clauses).
•Independentclausesareconnectedby
coordinatingconjunctions,conjunctive
adverbsorasemi-colon.

16. Compound Sentence
We went to San Juan, and
most of us danced all night.

17. Compound Sentence
Wewentto San Juan,
andmost of usdancedall night .
Subject Verb
Coordinating
Conjunction
Predicate
Verb
Prepositional phrase
Modifying phraseSubject

18. Compound Sentence
Use of Coordinating Conjunctions
SUBJECT PREDICATE
SUBJECT PREDICATE

19. Compound Sentence
Tom swims,
Mary plays tennis.
and

20. COMPOUND SENTENCE:
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
FOR
AND
NOR
BUT
OR
YET
SO

21. Tom swims,andMary plays tennis.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Independent Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

22. Tom swims, andMary plays tennis.
Comma before “and”
in compound
sentences!
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
COORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

23. COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS
MOREOVER
HOWEVER
OTHERWISE
THEREFORE

24. Bob is handsome; moreover, he is rich.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Independent Independent
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

25. Note: Semicolon
before conjunctive
adverb and comma
after conjunctive adverb!
Bob is handsome; moreover,he is rich.
COMPOUND SENTENCE:
CONJUNCTIVE ADVERBS

26. Conjunctive Adverbs “float”
•Conjunctive adverbs are sometimes
called “floating” adverbs because they
can be positioned at the beginning, in
the middle, or at the end of a clause.

27. CONJUNCTIVE ADVERB:
AT THE BEGINNING, IN THE MIDDLE,AT THE END
Bob is handsome; moreover,he is rich.
Bob is handsome; he is, moreover, rich.
Bob is handsome; he is rich, moreover.

28. Semicolons
•“If the relation between the ideas
expressed in the main clauses is very
close and obvious without a
conjunction, you can separate the
clauses with a semicolon” (Little, Brown
Handbook, 9th Edition, p. 361).

29. COMPOUND SENTENCE:
SEMICOLON
Tom has benefited from his exercise
program;he is slim and energetic.

30. Complex Sentence

31. Complex Sentence
•Acomplexsentencehasatleasttwo
parts:onethatcanstandaloneand
anotheronethatcannot
•Thepartthatcannotstandaloneislinked
totherestofthesentencebya
subordinatingconjunction

32. Complex Sentence
Since my boyfriend and I wanted to have fun,
we went to San Juan yesterday.

33. Complex Sentence
Sincewewantedto have fun,
wewentto San Juan yesterday.
Predicate
Subject
Subordinating
Conjunction
Part that cannot stand alone

34. Complex Sentence
SUBJECT PREDICATE
SUBJECT PREDICATE
even though

35. Complex Sentence
Bob is popular
he is ugly.
even though

36. COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
The most common subordinating
conjunctions are"after," "although,"
"as," "because," "before," "how,"
"if," "once," "since," "than,"
"that," though," "till," "until,"
"when," "where," "whether,” and
while."

37. Bob is popular even thoughhe is ugly.
Clause 1 Clause
2
Independent Dependent
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

38. Even thoughBob is ugly,he is popular.
Clause 1 Clause 2
Dependent Independent
COMPLEX SENTENCE:
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS

39. Compound-Complex Sentence

40. •Thistypeofsentencehasmorethanone
partthatcanstandalone,andatleastone
thatcannot.
•Conjunctionslinkthedifferentpartsofthis
sentence.
Compound-Complex Sentence

41. Compound-Complex Sentence
Since we wanted to have fun,
my boyfriend and I went to San Juan yesterday,
and we danced all night.

42. Sincewewantedto have fun,
my boyfriend and Iwentto San Juan,
andwedancedall night.
Subject Predicate
Subordinating
Conjunction
Coordinating
Conjunction
Part that cannot stand alone
Compound-Complex Sentence

43. Compound-Complex Sentence
Mike is popular
he is good looking,
because
he is not very happy.
but

44. Exercises
Say if the following sentences are:
Simple, compound, complex or
compound-complex.

45. 1.The bell rang.
2.Bridget ran the first part of the race, and Tara
biked the second part.
3.He stands at the bottom of the cliff while the
climber moves up the rock.
4.The skier turned and jumped.
5.Naoki passed the test because he studied
hard and understood the material.

46. Answers
1.Simple
2.Compound
3.Complex
4.Simple
5.Compound-complex

47. 1.Because Kayla has so much climbing
experience , we asked her to lead our group.
2.You and I need piano lessons.
3.I planned to go to the hockey game, but I
couldn’t get tickets.
4.Dorothy likes white water rafting, but she
also enjoys kayaking.
5.There are many problems to solve before this
program can be used, but engineers believe
that they will be able to solve them soon.

48. Answers
1.Complex
2.Simple
3.Compound
4.Compound
5.Compound-complex

49. References
Writing Academic English, Second Edition, by Alice
Oshima and Ann Hogue. White Plains: Addison, Wesley,
Longman, 1999.
The Little, Brown Handbook, by H. Ramsey Fowler and
Jane E. Aaron, Pearson, 2004.