Grammatical Agreement Definition and Example

Grammatical agreement is the term used to describe the way in which different parts of a sentence agree with each other in terms of number, gender, and person. Correct grammatical agreement is essential for clear and effective communication in written and spoken language. It ensures that the subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and noun-adjective agreement are correct.

Subject-Verb Agreement

The subject-verb agreement refers to the way in which the subject and the verb in a sentence have to be in agreement in terms of number. For example, when the subject is singular, the verb must be singular as well, and when the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well. Here is an example:

Incorrect: The dog barks in the park.

Correct: The dogs bark in the park.

In the incorrect sentence, the subject, which is “dog,” is singular, but the verb, which is “barks,” is plural, which creates a grammatical error. In the correct sentence, the subject and verb are in agreement since “dogs” is a plural noun, and “bark” is a plural verb.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Pronoun-antecedent agreement refers to how the pronoun and its antecedent must have agreement in terms of gender, number, and person. For example:

Incorrect: Each of the students will receive their report card.

Correct: Each of the students will receive his or her report card.

In the incorrect sentence, “their” is a plural pronoun that is used to refer to a singular antecedent “each,” which creates confusion and a grammatical error. In the correct sentence, “his or her” is a better pronoun to use to refer to a singular antecedent, which makes it clear who will receive the report card.

Noun-Adjective Agreement

Noun-adjective agreement refers to how the adjective must agree with the noun it modifies in terms of gender, number, and person. For example:

Incorrect: The boy wear blue shoes.

Correct: The boy wears blue shoes.

In the incorrect sentence, the subject, “boy,” is singular, and the verb, “wear,” is plural. This creates a grammatical error. In the correct sentence, “wears” is a correct verb, which agrees with the singular subject “boy.”

Conclusion

Correct grammatical agreement is vital for clear and effective communication in written and spoken language. It ensures that the subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and noun-adjective agreement are correct. Writers and editors should pay close attention to grammatical agreement to avoid confusing and unclear language. By following the above rules, one can produce clean and clear written or spoken communication.