Agreement of the Verb with Subject Exercises: A Guide for Improved Grammar and SEO

As a copy editor experienced in search engine optimization (SEO), I have seen time and time again the importance of proper grammar and spelling in producing content that ranks well in search engines. One key area where writers often struggle is in the agreement of the verb with the subject. In this article, I will provide some exercises to help anyone improve their understanding and application of this grammar rule.

Before we delve into the exercises, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what we mean by agreement of the verb with the subject. In simple terms, this means that the verb must agree in number with its subject. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. For example:

– Correct: The cat jumps on the table. (singular subject “cat” paired with singular verb “jumps”)

– Correct: The cats jump on the table. (plural subject “cats” paired with plural verb “jump”)

– Incorrect: The cat jumps on the table. (singular subject “cat” paired with plural verb “jump”)

Now, let’s move on to some exercises to help you master this rule:

Exercise 1: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses

1. The dog ____________ (bark) at the mailman every day.

2. She always ____________ (make) her bed before leaving the house.

3. They ____________ (study) hard for their exams last week.

4. He ____________ (play) basketball with his friends on the weekends.

5. The birds ____________ (sing) a beautiful song in the morning.

Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentence using the correct form of the verb

1. The group of students is walking to class. (group = singular subject)

2. The list of chores were completed by the family. (list = singular subject)

3. The company’s employees are well-trained. (employees = plural subject)

4. The orchestra in the park sounds great. (orchestra = singular subject)

5. The team of doctors was able to diagnose the patient’s illness. (team = singular subject)

By practicing exercises like these, you can improve your ability to correctly match verbs with their subjects. This will not only make your writing more grammatically correct, but it can also improve your SEO by signaling to search engines that your content is of high quality.

In conclusion, the agreement of the verb with the subject is an important element of proper grammar that can greatly impact the success of your content in search engines. With practice and dedication, anyone can master this rule and produce high-quality, SEO-friendly content.