False Agreement

False Agreement: The Pitfalls of Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement

As a copy editor with experience in SEO, one of the most common grammatical errors I have come across is incorrect subject-verb agreement. This error occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence do not agree in terms of number, leading to grammatical inconsistencies that can negatively impact the readability and ranking of your content.

What is subject-verb agreement?

Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that requires the subject and verb in a sentence to be in agreement in terms of number. This means that if the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must be singular as well. Similarly, if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.

For example:

– Correct: The dog barks.

– Incorrect: The dog bark.

In the correct sentence, the singular subject “dog” is followed by the singular verb “barks”. In the incorrect sentence, the singular subject “dog” is followed by the plural verb “bark”.

What is false agreement?

False agreement occurs when the subject and verb in a sentence appear to agree in number, but in reality they do not. This error typically occurs when the subject is separated from the verb by a phrase or clause that contains a noun or pronoun that is mistakenly assumed to be the subject.

For example:

– Correct: The team, along with their coach, is practicing hard.

– Incorrect: The team, along with their coach, are practicing hard.

In the correct sentence, the singular subject “team” is followed by the singular verb “is”. Even though the phrase “along with their coach” contains a plural noun (“coach”), this noun does not affect the subject-verb agreement because it is not the subject of the sentence.

In the incorrect sentence, the same phrase is used, but this time it is followed by the plural verb “are”. This is a false agreement because the subject (“team”) is singular, while the verb (“are”) is plural, resulting in grammatical inconsistency.

Why is false agreement problematic?

False agreement can make your writing appear unprofessional and can detract from the clarity of your message. Additionally, it can negatively impact your SEO efforts by affecting the readability of your content.

Search engines like Google prioritize content that is easy to read and understand, and grammatical errors like false agreement can lower the readability score of your content. This can ultimately lead to lower rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs) and less traffic to your website.

How can you avoid false agreement?

To avoid false agreement, it is important to identify the subject of your sentence and ensure that the verb agrees with it in terms of number. Pay attention to any intervening phrases or clauses and make sure they do not affect your subject-verb agreement.

Additionally, it can be helpful to use tools like grammar checkers or to have your content reviewed by a professional copy editor. These tools can help to catch any errors in subject-verb agreement and ensure that your content is free from grammatical inconsistencies.

In conclusion, false agreement is a common grammatical error that can negatively impact the readability and ranking of your content. By understanding this error and taking steps to avoid it, you can improve the quality of your writing and enhance your SEO efforts.