Subject Verb Agreement Grammar Lesson 13

Subject-verb agreement is an essential grammar lesson that every writer should learn. In this lesson, we will focus on Lesson 13 of subject-verb agreement, which is known as “Collective Nouns.”

Collective Nouns are words that represent groups of people, animals, or things. Examples of Collective Nouns include “team,” “family,” “herd,” “crowd,” “flock,” “group,” “jury,” and many more.

In subject-verb agreement, Collective Nouns act as a single unit. Therefore, they should be treated as a singular noun, and the verb that follows them should be in singular form.

For example, “The crowd is cheering for the team,” is a correct sentence since the collective noun “crowd” is treated as a singular noun, and the verb “is” is also in singular form.

However, if we use the same sentence with the verb “are,” it becomes incorrect. For instance, “The crowd are cheering for the team,” is wrong since the verb “are” is in plural form, and it contradicts the singular Collective Noun “crowd.”

Another example is “The jury has reached a verdict.” In this sentence, the Collective Noun “jury” is treated as singular, and the verb “has” is also in singular form.

On the contrary, if we use “have” in this sentence, it becomes grammatically incorrect. For example, “The jury have reached a verdict,” is incorrect since the verb “have” is in plural form, while the Collective Noun “jury” is singular.

However, in some cases, Collective Nouns may be used with plural verbs if the focus is on individual members of that group rather than the group as a whole.

For example, “The team are competing against each other,” is correct since the focus is on individual team members rather than the group as a whole.

To wrap up, when using Collective Nouns, it is essential to remember that they should be treated as a singular unit, and the verb that follows them should be in singular form. Keep this rule in mind and ensure that your sentences are grammatically correct and convey the intended message.