Compact Agreement in a Sentence: How to Ensure Grammar Consistency in Your Writing

In any form of writing, be it a blog post, an article, or a report, grammar consistency is critical to creating a professional, coherent, and engaging message. One crucial aspect of grammar consistency is compact agreement in a sentence. This refers to ensuring that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number and person.

The basic rule of compact agreement is straightforward: singular subjects require singular verbs, and plural subjects require plural verbs. However, things can get more complicated when you start adding phrases and clauses to the sentence. Here are some tips to help you master compact agreement in a sentence:

1. Identify the subject: Before you start conjugating your verb, identify the subject of the sentence. This will help you determine whether you need a singular or plural verb.

2. Watch out for compound subjects: If your sentence has more than one subject, make sure to use a plural verb. For example, „John and Sarah are going to the party” – not „John and Sarah is going to the party.”

3. Don`t be misled by prepositional phrases: A prepositional phrase does not affect the subject-verb agreement. For example, „The book on the shelf is mine” – even though „book” is singular, the verb „is” is also singular because it agrees with the true subject, „shelf.”

4. Look out for indefinite pronouns: Indefinite pronouns, such as „everyone” or „someone,” are usually singular and require a singular verb. For example, „Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting.”

5. Consider the tense and person of the verb: When conjugating your verb, make sure it agrees with not only the number but also the tense and person of the subject. For example, „He walks” – third-person singular present tense, versus „We walked” – first-person plural past tense.

In summary, compact agreement in a sentence is a crucial aspect of grammar consistency. To ensure your message is professional, coherent, and engaging, it`s essential to pay attention to the subject-verb agreement. Follow these tips, and your writing will be grammatically consistent and polished.