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Subject/Verb Agreement Be sure to match subjects and verbs. Agreement is a form of consistency and is one of the most basic elements of grammar.
When you learn to conjugate verbs, for example, you are applying the concept of agreement.
Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. He speaks/they speak; One is/many are Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement Because pronouns replace nouns or other pronouns, they must agree with their singular or plural antecedents.
Evelyn is very grateful to her parents for their constant support and encouragement.
Most pronoun/antecedent errors arise when we use the indefinite pronouns anyone, anybody, everyone, everybody, someone, somebody, no one, and so on.
These pronouns are singular because they refer to individuals: Everybody is responsible for his own work. Someone has left her books on the floor. If anyone calls while I am out, please tell him or her that I will call back after lunch.
The common practice of replacing him/her with them, or her/his with their, solves the problem of choosing gender, but it is ungrammatical and illogical. The careful writer (and speaker) avoids these errors, or rewrites:
Please tell anyone who calls that I will return at noon. Someone’s books have been left on the floor. Everyone has individual responsibility for the assignments.
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