Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in English grammar that can have a significant impact on how your writing is perceived. If you’re new to writing or just need a refresher, this article will provide basic subject-verb agreement examples to help you avoid common mistakes and improve your writing skills.

Before we dive into the examples, it’s important to understand what subject-verb agreement means. Simply put, it refers to the idea that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural.

To help you get a better understanding of this concept, here are some basic subject-verb agreement examples:

1. Singular Subject and Singular Verb

Example: The cat chases the mouse.

In this sentence, the subject “cat” is singular, and the verb “chases” is also singular. They agree in number, making this a grammatically correct sentence.

2. Plural Subject and Plural Verb

Example: The dogs bark loudly.

In this sentence, the subject “dogs” is plural, and the verb “bark” is also plural. They agree in number, making this a grammatically correct sentence.

3. Singular Subject and Plural Verb

Example: The boy and his friends play soccer.

In this sentence, the subject “boy” is singular, but the verb “play” is plural. This is because the sentence is referring to the boy and his friends, which is a plural group. Therefore, the verb must be plural to match the subject.

4. Plural Subject and Singular Verb

Example: Every day, the students studies hard.

In this sentence, the subject “students” is plural, but the verb “studies” is singular. This is a common mistake that can occur when the subject comes after the verb. A correct version of this sentence would be: “Every day, the students study hard.”

5. Indefinite Pronouns

Example: Someone needs to clean the kitchen.

In this sentence, the subject “someone” is singular, but it is an indefinite pronoun that can refer to any person. Therefore, the verb “needs” is singular to match the subject.

These are just a few basic subject-verb agreement examples to help get you started. There are many other rules to follow for more complex sentences, but understanding these basics is a great foundation for improving your writing skills and avoiding common mistakes. Keep in mind that subject-verb agreement can influence the clarity and credibility of your writing, so it’s important to pay attention to this rule whenever you’re writing anything.