Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar rule that can make or break the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. This rule states that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. In other words, they both must be singular or plural. However, this rule can be a bit tricky, especially for class 10 students who are still learning the nuances of the English language. Therefore, we have put together a comprehensive subject-verb agreement rules pdf for class 10 students to help them master this rule and become better writers.
Before diving into the subject-verb agreement rules, it is important to understand the difference between a subject and verb. The subject is the noun or pronoun in a sentence that performs the action, while the verb is the action word. For example, in the sentence « The dog barks loudly, » « the dog » is the subject, and « barks » is the verb.
Now, let`s take a look at some of the subject-verb agreement rules.
1. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. For example, « The boy sings » and « The boys sing. »
2. When a singular subject is joined by « and » with another noun or pronoun, the verb becomes plural. For example, « The boy and girl play » and « The cat and dog chase each other. »
3. When the subjects are connected by « or » or « nor, » the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. For example, « Neither the cat nor the dog is hungry » and « Either the boy or his friends are coming to the party. »
4. If the subject is a collective noun, the verb can be either singular or plural, depending on whether the group is acting as a whole or as individuals. For example, « The team is playing well » and « The team members are playing well. »
5. When the subject is an indefinite pronoun such as « everyone, » « anyone, » or « someone, » the verb is always singular. For example, « Everyone knows the answer » and « Someone is knocking on the door. »
These are just a few of the subject-verb agreement rules that class 10 students need to know. By understanding and applying these rules, students can improve the clarity and effectiveness of their writing. With the help of our subject-verb agreement rules pdf, class 10 students can easily master this important grammar rule and become confident and competent writers.