As a copy editor, one of the most important aspects of writing is ensuring that the subject and verb in a sentence agree. This not only ensures that your sentences are grammatically correct, but it also helps to improve your SEO by making your content easier to understand and more readable.
Subject-verb agreement refers to the rule that the subject of a sentence must agree with the verb in terms of number (singular or plural). For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Let’s look at some examples:
Incorrect: The dog and cat plays in the yard.
Correct: The dog and cat play in the yard.
In this example, “dog” is singular, and “cat” is singular, but the verb “plays” is singular, which is incorrect. It should be “play” to agree with the plural subject.
Incorrect: The flowers and vase was on the table.
Correct: The flowers and vase were on the table.
In this example, “flowers” is plural, and “vase” is singular, but the verb “was” is singular, which is incorrect. It should be “were” to agree with the plural subject.
It’s important to remember that phrases and clauses in between the subject and verb do not affect the subject-verb agreement. For example:
Incorrect: The book, along with the pen, is on the table.
Correct: The book, along with the pen, are on the table.
In this example, “book” is singular, but “pen” is not the subject. Therefore, “are” is used to agree with the plural subject “book.”
Subject-verb agreement is especially important in SEO because search engines favor content that is easy to read and understand. If your content has grammatical errors, it can affect your search engine ranking and make it more difficult for readers to understand your message.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a simple yet crucial aspect of writing that helps to improve the clarity and readability of your content. Always make sure that your subject and verb agree in terms of number, and double-check your work to ensure that you have not made any errors. With consistent attention to this detail, your writing will be clear, effective, and optimized for SEO.