Define "subject-verb agreement."

Define "subject-verb agreement."

• A. The rule that the subject is always plural
• B. The rule that the subject and verb must match in number
• C. The rule that verbs must always be present tense
• D. The rule that sentences must have a subject

Answer: (B)

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number, meaning both must be singular or both must be plural. This ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and clear. For example, in the sentence "The dog barks," "dog" is a singular subject, so the verb "barks" is also in its singular form. Conversely, in "The dogs bark," the plural "dogs" aligns with the plural verb "bark." This agreement is crucial for maintaining clarity and coherence in communication. The other choices reflect misunderstandings of this concept. For example, stating that the subject is always plural is incorrect because subjects can be either singular or plural. The option referring to verbs always being in present tense does not pertain to agreement at all; verbs can be in various tenses based on the context of the sentence. Lastly, while every complete sentence must have a subject, this does not relate specifically to the rule of subject-verb agreement.

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that the subject and verb in a sentence must match in number, meaning both must be singular or both must be plural. This ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and clear. For example, in the sentence "The dog barks," "dog" is a singular subject, so the verb "barks" is also in its singular form. Conversely, in "The dogs bark," the plural "dogs" aligns with the plural verb "bark." This agreement is crucial for maintaining clarity and coherence in communication.

The other choices reflect misunderstandings of this concept. For example, stating that the subject is always plural is incorrect because subjects can be either singular or plural. The option referring to verbs always being in present tense does not pertain to agreement at all; verbs can be in various tenses based on the context of the sentence. Lastly, while every complete sentence must have a subject, this does not relate specifically to the rule of subject-verb agreement.