A sentence with correct subject verb agreement is one in which the subject and the verb agree in number. This means that 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, consider the sentence:
“The cat chases the mouse.”
In this sentence, the subject “cat” is singular and the verb “chases” agrees with it in number. If we were to change the subject to “cats”, we would need to use the plural verb “chase” to maintain agreement:
“The cats chase the mouse.”
Similarly, if the subject were “he”, we would use the singular verb form “chases”, whereas if the subject were “they”, we would use the plural verb form “chase”:
“He chases the mouse.”
“They chase the mouse.”
Subject verb agreement can sometimes be tricky, especially when dealing with less common subjects that are not immediately obvious. In cases like these, it can be helpful to identify the subject first and then determine whether it is singular or plural before selecting the appropriate verb form.
For example, consider the sentence:
“One of the cats chases the mouse.”
In this sentence, the subject is “one”, which might seem singular, but the prepositional phrase “of the cats” introduces a plural noun phrase. So, we must use the plural verb form “chase” to agree with the plural subject “cats”:
“One of the cats chase the mouse.”
In conclusion, mastering subject verb agreement is an important part of writing clear and grammatically correct sentences. By paying careful attention to the number and nature of your subjects, you can ensure that your writing conveys your intended meaning in a clear and effective manner.