Subject-verb agreement is an important grammatical rule that every writer, editor, or content marketer must know. It refers to the correspondence of the subject and verb in a sentence in terms of their number. This means that a singular subject must have a singular verb, while a plural subject must have a plural verb. Subject-verb agreement is critical not only for clarity and coherence but also for search engine optimization (SEO). Here`s why.
Firstly, subject-verb agreement affects the readability and comprehension of your content. When there is a disagreement between the subject and the verb, it can disrupt the flow of the sentence and confuse the reader. For instance, “The boys is playing soccer” is incorrect because “boys” is a plural subject that requires a plural verb, which is “are” instead of “is.” Such errors can make your content appear unprofessional and undermine your credibility as a writer.
Secondly, subject-verb agreement is essential for SEO because search engines use algorithms that prioritize grammatically correct content. When you have errors in your writing, it can negatively impact your website`s ranking and visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). Therefore, it`s crucial to ensure that your content is free from subject-verb agreement errors, among other grammatical mistakes.
To avoid subject-verb agreement errors in your content, here are some tips to keep in mind:
1. Identify the subject of the sentence and determine if it is singular or plural.
2. Choose the appropriate verb that matches the number of the subject.
3. Be careful with compound subjects, which are two or more subjects joined by “and.” In this case, the verb should be plural.
4. Don`t be swayed by phrases that come between the subject and verb, such as prepositional phrases. The subject and verb must still agree regardless of the intervening words.
5. Finally, always proofread your writing to check for subject-verb agreement errors and other grammatical mistakes.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of writing that cannot be overlooked. By ensuring that your content adheres to this grammatical rule, you can improve both its readability and SEO potential. So, always take the time to proofread your content and fix any subject-verb agreement errors that may be lurking.