Say agreement, also known as syntactic agreement or grammatical agreement, refers to the appropriate matching of subject and verb in a sentence. This agreement is important in ensuring that the sentence is grammatically correct and easily understood by the reader.

In English, the basic rule of say agreement is that the verb must match the number and person of the subject. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Let`s take a look at some examples:

– Incorrect: The cat chase the mouse.

– Correct: The cat chases the mouse.

In the incorrect sentence, the verb “chase” does not agree with the singular subject “cat.” However, in the corrected sentence, the verb has been changed to the singular form “chases” to match the subject.

– Incorrect: The students is studying for their exams.

– Correct: The students are studying for their exams.

In this example, the verb “is” does not agree with the plural subject “students.” The corrected sentence uses the plural verb “are” to match the subject.

Say agreement can become more complicated when dealing with compound subjects, collective nouns, and indefinite pronouns. In these cases, it is important to identify the true subject of the sentence in order to determine the correct verb form.

For example:

– Incorrect: The group of musicians was playing their instruments.

– Correct: The group of musicians were playing their instruments.

In this sentence, the collective noun “group” is the subject, but it is made up of multiple people. Therefore, the verb form “were” is used to agree with the plural subject.

– Incorrect: Each of the students is responsible for bringing their own lunch.

– Correct: Each of the students is responsible for bringing his or her own lunch.

In this example, the indefinite pronoun “each” is singular, but the use of “their” suggests a plural subject. The corrected sentence uses the gender-neutral pronoun “his or her” to match the singular subject.

In addition to ensuring grammatical correctness, proper say agreement can also improve the clarity and flow of a sentence. By using the appropriate verb form, the reader can easily identify the subject and understand the intended meaning of the sentence.

As a copy editor, it is important to pay attention to say agreement in all written materials. By correcting any errors in subject-verb agreement, you can help ensure that the text is professional, clear, and easy to read.