Mastering Agreement in English: The Complete Guide to Grammatical Harmony

 

Introduction

Grammatical agreement is the backbone of coherent English communication. It ensures that sentence elements match in number, gender, case, and person, creating clear and logical expressions. This comprehensive guide explores all aspects of agreement in English grammar, from subject-verb agreement to pronoun-antecedent relationships, with practical examples and common pitfalls to avoid.

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1. Understanding Grammatical Agreement

Agreement refers to the grammatical correspondence between different parts of a sentence. The four main types in English are:

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

   • Singular subjects take singular verbs

   • Plural subjects take plural verbs
     Example: "The dog barks" vs. "The dogs bark"

2. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

   • Pronouns must match their antecedents in number and gender
     Example: "Each student must bring his or her notebook"

3. Noun-Determiner Agreement

   • Determiners must agree with their nouns
     Example: "This book" vs. "These books"

4. Adjective-Noun Agreement

   • Less common in English than in other languages

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2. Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

Basic Rule:

Singular subject + singular verb (adds -s)
Plural subject + plural verb (no -s)

Examples:

• Correct: "She writes novels"

• Incorrect: "She write novels"

Special Cases:

1. Compound Subjects:

   • Joined by "and" → plural verb
     Example: "Tom and Jerry are friends"

2. Collective Nouns:

   • Can be singular or plural depending on meaning
     Example: "The team is winning" (single unit) vs. "The team are arguing" (individual members)

3. Indefinite Pronouns:

   • Some always singular (each, either, neither)

   • Some always plural (both, few, many)

   • Some depend on context (all, some, none)

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3. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Key Rules:

1. Number Agreement:

   • "The students forgot their books" (plural + plural)

2. Gender Agreement:

   • Traditional: "Each student must bring his or her book"

   • Modern: "Each student must bring their book" (singular they)

3. Person Agreement:

   • "If anyone calls, tell them I'm busy"

Common Errors:

• "Everybody should bring their book" (traditionally incorrect but now accepted)

• "Each of the girls brought her book" (correct formal usage)

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4. Tricky Agreement Situations

1. Intervening Phrases:

   • The subject, not the intervening noun, determines the verb
     Example: "The box of chocolates is on the table"

2. Titles and Names:

   • Always singular even if plural in form
     Example: "The United States is a large country"

3. Amounts and Measurements:

   • Generally singular when considered as a unit
     Example: "Five dollars is enough"

4. Fractional Expressions:

   • Depends on the noun following "of"
     Example: "Half of the cake is gone" vs. "Half of the cookies are gone"

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5. Agreement in Different Sentence Structures

1. Inverted Sentences:

   • Verb agrees with the subject that follows
     Example: "There are many reasons for this"

2. Relative Clauses:

   • Verb agrees with the antecedent
     Example: "She is one of those people who are always late"

3. Predicate Nominatives:

   • Verb agrees with subject, not complement
     Example: "The problem was the mistakes"

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6. Common Agreement Mistakes to Avoid

❌ "The data is conclusive" (formal: "The data are conclusive")
❌ "Neither of them are coming" (correct: "Neither of them is coming")
❌ "Each of the students have a book" (correct: "Each...has")
❌ "Physics are difficult" (correct: "Physics is difficult")

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7. Practical Tips for Maintaining Agreement

1. Identify the True Subject - Look past prepositional phrases

2. Watch for Collective Nouns - Decide if singular or plural meaning

3. Be Consistent with Pronouns - Stick to one gender reference

4. Test with Simple Substitutes - Replace complex subjects with pronouns

5. Read Aloud - Your ear often catches agreement errors

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Conclusion

Proper agreement creates polished, professional English. By mastering these rules:

• Your writing will gain clarity and precision

• You'll avoid common grammatical errors

• Your communication will appear more sophisticated

Regular practice with these principles will make correct agreement second nature in both spoken and written English.