An agreement error is a grammatical mistake that occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not match in number. This is a common error that can affect the clarity and accuracy of your writing, and it can be a real headache for copy editors to spot and correct.
Let`s take a closer look at what an agreement error looks like in practice. Here`s an example sentence:
“The team are working on their projects.”
At first glance, this sentence doesn`t look too bad. However, if we break it down and examine it more closely, we can see that there is an agreement error hiding in plain sight. The subject of the sentence is “team,” which is a collective noun that represents a group of individuals. The verb, however, is “are,” which is a plural form that indicates multiple individuals. This creates a mismatch between the subject and verb, which is an agreement error.
To correct this sentence, we need to make sure that the subject and verb agree in number. One way to do this is to use a singular verb form, like this:
“The team is working on its projects.”
Now, the subject and verb match in number, which creates a clear, grammatically correct sentence.
Here`s another example:
“Each of the employees were given a bonus.”
Again, this sentence may look fine at first glance. However, if we examine it more closely, we can see that there is an agreement error. The subject of the sentence is “each,” which is a singular pronoun that represents one individual. The verb, however, is “were,” which is a plural form that indicates multiple individuals. This creates a mismatch between the subject and verb, which is an agreement error.
To correct this sentence, we need to use a singular verb form to match the singular subject. Here`s the corrected sentence:
“Each of the employees was given a bonus.”
By using a singular verb form, we have created a grammatically correct sentence that accurately reflects the intended meaning.
In summary, an agreement error is a common grammatical mistake that occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not match in number. This can lead to confusion and inaccuracies in your writing, so it`s important to keep an eye out for these errors and correct them as needed. By using correct subject-verb agreement, you can ensure that your writing is clear, accurate, and effective.
