LibAnswers

You might get feedback say “subject-verb agreement error,” or “s-v agreement error.” This is a common error when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree on whether it is singular or plural. Here is an example with the subject “sister” and the verb “to go,”

Singular Subject + Singular Verb = Agreement

“My sister, Anne, is going to France.”

Plural Subject + Plural Verb = Agreement

“My sisters, Anne and Sarah, are going to France.”

Singular Subject + Plural Verb = Disagreement

“My sister, Anne, are going to France.”

Plural Subject + Singular Verb = Disagreement

“My sisters, Anne and Sarah, is going to France.”

What are the steps to fix a s-v agreement error?

1. Identify where the subject and verb are in the sentence.
2. Check if the subject is plural or singular.
3. Check if the verb is singular or plural.
   1. Note: if there are multiple singular subjects (such as listing people, places, thing, etc.) then the verb needs to be in plural.
4. Change the verb or subject to singular or plural.