Subject-verb agreement is one of the most basic concepts in the English language. It simply means that the subject and the verb in a sentence must agree in number. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well. This may seem like a simple rule, but there are many exceptions and nuances that can trip up even experienced writers.
One area that can be particularly tricky is when dealing with unit of measurements. In many cases, the unit of measurement will be singular, but the subject it is describing may be plural. For example, consider the sentence “Five miles is a long way to walk.” In this case, the subject is “five miles,” which is technically plural, but the verb “is” is singular because it is referring to a single unit of measurement.
Another example of this occurs with fractions. When referring to a fraction, the verb will typically agree with the numerator rather than the denominator. For example, in the sentence “One-half of the students are absent,” the subject is “one-half,” which is singular, but the verb “are” is plural because it is referring to the students.
There are also cases where the unit of measurement can be plural, even though it is referring to a singular subject. For example, consider the sentence “The statistics show that the economy is growing.” In this case, the subject is “statistics,” which is plural, but the verb “show” is also plural because it is referring to multiple pieces of data.
When dealing with subject-verb agreement and unit of measurements, it`s important to remember that the key is to focus on the subject. If the subject is singular, use a singular verb, and if the subject is plural, use a plural verb. If the unit of measurement is singular, use a singular verb, and if the unit of measurement is plural, use a plural verb. By following these simple rules, you can ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and grammatically correct.