Subject-verb agreement is an essential element of grammar that helps writers ensure that their sentences are clear and understandable. Many writers struggle with subject-verb agreement, especially when writing longer paragraphs where they may make mistakes in agreement between the subject and verb. To help improve this aspect of writing, let`s take a closer look at some subject-verb agreement paragraph exercises.
Exercise #1: Understanding the Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement
The first exercise involves understanding the basic rules of subject-verb agreement. The idea here is to identify the subject and verb in a given sentence and ensure they are in agreement with one another. For example:
Incorrect: The cat on the couch are sleeping.
Correct: The cat on the couch is sleeping.
In the above sentence, “cat” is the subject, and “is” is the verb. Thus, we need the singular verb “is” to match with the singular subject “cat.” This exercise is helpful in understanding how to identify and match subjects and verbs in a sentence.
Exercise #2: Applying Subject-Verb Agreement to Paragraphs
The second exercise is about applying subject-verb agreement concepts to longer paragraphs. This exercise involves reading a paragraph and identifying subject-verb agreement errors, and then correcting them. For example:
Incorrect: The dogs at the park chase the frisbee and bark loudly. They love to play in the open grass and socialize with other dogs. But sometimes, their behavior are a bit too aggressive for some owners.
Correct: The dogs at the park chase the frisbee and bark loudly. They love to play in the open grass and socialize with other dogs. But sometimes, their behavior is a bit too aggressive for some owners.
In the above paragraph, we need to use the singular verb “is” instead of “are” because “behavior” is a singular subject. This exercise helps to improve knowledge and application of subject-verb agreement rules in longer paragraphs.
Exercise #3: Writing Paragraphs with Correct Subject-Verb Agreement
The third exercise is focused on writing paragraphs with correct subject-verb agreement. This exercise involves creating a paragraph with at least five sentences, and ensuring that the subject and verb match in each sentence. For example:
Correct: The team of scientists are conducting research on the effects of climate change. They collect data from across the globe and analyze it in their laboratory. The findings from their research shows that climate change is causing serious harm to the world`s ecosystems. Their work is important in helping to find solutions to this global crisis. The team hopes to continue their research and make a positive impact on the future of our planet.
In the above paragraph, we can see that the subject and verb are in agreement in each sentence. This exercise is helpful in improving writing skills and applying subject-verb agreement rules to real-life writing scenarios.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of grammar that requires practice and understanding to master. By using these subject-verb agreement paragraph exercises, writers can improve their skills in identifying and matching subjects and verbs, applying subject-verb agreement rules to longer paragraphs, and writing paragraphs with correct subject-verb agreement. With practice, writers can improve their writing skills and ensure that their sentences are clear, concise, and grammatically correct.
