Agreement Major Clauses
Agreement major clauses refer to the essential components of a sentence that must agree in terms of number and person to create a grammatically correct sentence. These clauses include the subject, verb, and object of the sentence. In order to maintain proper grammatical structure and clarity, it is important to ensure that these clauses are in agreement.
Subject-Verb Agreement
The subject of a sentence is the person, place, or thing that is being described or performing the action. The verb is the action that the subject is performing. When constructing a sentence, it is important to ensure that the subject and verb agree in terms of number and person. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Incorrect: The dog barks loudly. (singular subject “dog” with plural verb “barks”)
Correct: The dog barks loudly. (singular subject “dog” with singular verb “barks”)
Incorrect: The dogs bark loudly. (plural subject “dogs” with singular verb “bark”)
Correct: The dogs bark loudly. (plural subject “dogs” with plural verb “bark”)
Object-Verb Agreement
The object of a sentence is the person, place, or thing that is affected by the action of the verb. When constructing a sentence, it is important to ensure that the object and verb agree in terms of number and person. For example, if the object is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the object is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Incorrect: She reads the books quickly. (singular object “books” with plural verb “reads”)
Correct: She reads the book quickly. (singular object “book” with singular verb “reads”)
Incorrect: They read the book quickly. (plural object “book” with singular verb “read”)
Correct: They read the books quickly. (plural object “books” with plural verb “read”)
Consistency of Agreement
In addition to ensuring that the subject and object agree with the verb, it is important to maintain consistency of agreement throughout the sentence. This means that the tense of the verb should remain consistent, and the person and number of the subject and object should be maintained throughout.
Incorrect: She runs fast, but he jog. (inconsistent verb tense and subject-verb agreement)
Correct: She runs fast, but he jogs slowly. (consistent verb tense and subject-verb agreement)
In conclusion, agreement major clauses are essential components of a grammatically correct sentence. It is crucial to ensure that the subject, verb, and object agree in terms of number and person to maintain proper grammatical structure and clarity. By maintaining consistency of agreement throughout the sentence, writers can produce well-written and effective sentences.