What is an example of a subject verb error?
A subject/verb agreement error can occur in the following types of sentences. Error: One of my friends like to cook Italian food. (Agreement error: One = singular / like = plural) Correction: One of my friends likes to cook Italian food. Error: The people who lives next door asked me to get their mail.
Subject-verb disagreement, where the conjugation of the verb does not match the point of view (first, second, or third) and number (singular or plural) of the subject, is a common error in writing. A single relationship lies at the heart of every sentence in the English language.
3. If plural subjects are joined by “or,” “nor,” or “but,” the verb must only agree with the subject that is closest to it. a. Example: Either Bob or his brother walks to the store.
- Nouns Ending in 'S' ...
- Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects. ...
- Two Subjects Connected with 'And' ...
- Connecting Two Singular Subjects. ...
- Connecting a Plural and Singular Subject. ...
- Embedded Prepositional Phrases.
Mistakes with verb tenses usually fall into one of three categories: Changing from one tense to another. Overusing continuous tenses. Confusion with irregular verbs.
Verb | Singular subject + verb | Plural subject + verb |
---|---|---|
Become | The child becomes happier. | The children become happier. |
Cause | That tree causes hay fever. | Those trees cause hay fever. |
Analyze | The author analyzes the text. | The authors analyze the text. |
What is subject-verb disagreement? Subject-verb disagreement is when the subject of your sentence and its corresponding verb do not match in terms of singularity or plurality. This is a grammatical error that can confuse the reader, and so, you want to achieve subject-verb agreement.
Identify where the subject and verb are in the sentence. Check if the subject is plural or singular. Check if the verb is singular or plural. Note: if there are multiple singular subjects (such as listing people, places, thing, etc.)
Verb | Singular subject + verb | Plural subject + verb |
---|---|---|
Become | The child becomes happier. | The children become happier. |
Cause | That tree causes hay fever. | Those trees cause hay fever. |
Analyze | The author analyzes the text. | The authors analyze the text. |
A verb is the action performed by the subject. Verbs must agree with subjects in number and in person (1st/2nd/3rd). EXAMPLE: The dog drinks his water every day. “Dog” is a singular subject; “drinks” is a singular present tense verb.
What is an example with the verb mistake?
- mistake somebody/something I admit that I mistook his intentions.
- He had certainly changed, but nobody could mistake his voice.
- There was no mistaking (= it was impossible to mistake) the bitterness in her voice.
- mistake somebody/something as somebody/something I mistook her offer as a threat.
- mistake what…