Subject-verb disagreement, also known as agreement error, is a common mistake that occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not match. This grammatical error may seem minor, but it can significantly impact the clarity and effectiveness of a piece of writing.

Subject-verb disagreement occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence are not in agreement with each other in terms of number and person. Number refers to whether the subject is singular or plural, while person refers to whether the subject is first, second, or third-person.

For example, in the sentence “The dog barks loudly,” the subject “dog” is singular, and the verb “barks” matches in the third person singular form. However, in the sentence “The dogs barks loudly,” the subject “dogs” is plural, but the verb “barks” is in the singular form, creating a subject-verb disagreement.

This error can also occur when the subject and verb are in different tenses. For instance, in the sentence “The cat was sleeping when the mouse runs by,” the verb “runs” is in the present tense, while the verb “was sleeping” is in the past tense. Therefore, the sentence should be revised to read “The cat was sleeping when the mouse ran by.”

Subject-verb disagreement can be notoriously difficult to spot in your own writing, but it can harm the clarity and credibility of a piece. It can make the sentence difficult to comprehend and can distract the reader from the intended meaning of the sentence.

To avoid agreement errors, it is essential to identify the subject and verb in a sentence and ensure that they match in number and person. If the subject is singular, use a singular verb, and if the subject is plural, use a plural verb. Be sure to also match the tense of the subject and verb in the sentence.

In conclusion, subject-verb disagreement is a common mistake that occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not match in terms of number, person, or tense. It can harm the clarity and impact of a piece of writing. Therefore, it is essential to be diligent in proofreading and editing your work to catch these errors and ensure that your writing is effective and clear.