Correcting Subject-Verb Agreement: Essential for Better SEO
As a copy editor, one of the most important aspects of creating quality content for SEO is subject-verb agreement. When a subject and its corresponding verb do not agree, it can create confusion for readers and negatively impact a website`s search engine rankings.
Subject-verb agreement refers to the specific relationship between a subject and its verb in a sentence. In order for a sentence to be grammatically correct, the subject and verb must agree in number. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural as well.
Unfortunately, subject-verb disagreement is a common issue in writing, and can happen for a variety of reasons. One common reason is when the subject and verb are separated by other words, such as prepositional phrases, making it difficult to identify the subject and its number. Another common reason is when the writer mistakenly assumes the number of the subject based on the word order of the sentence.
To help ensure that your content is grammatically correct and effective for SEO, here are three tips to correct subject-verb agreement:
1. Identify the subject and verb
The first step in correcting subject-verb agreement is to identify the subject and verb in the sentence. This can often be done by asking yourself who or what is performing the action of the verb. Once you have identified the subject, make sure that the verb agrees with it in number.
For example, in the sentence “The cat chases the mouse,” the subject is “cat,” which is singular, and the verb “chases” also needs to be singular to agree with it.
2. Pay attention to compound subjects
When a sentence has a compound subject, meaning that there are multiple subjects in the sentence, it can be easy to make mistakes in subject-verb agreement. In this case, the verb must agree with the plural subject.
For example, in the sentence “The cat and dog chase the mouse,” both “cat” and “dog” are plural subjects, so the verb “chase” must also be plural.
3. Take care with indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns, such as “someone,” “everyone,” and “nobody,” can be tricky when it comes to subject-verb agreement. In general, these pronouns are singular and require a singular verb.
For example, in the sentence “Everyone knows the answer,” “everyone” is singular, so the verb “knows” must also be singular.
By following these simple tips, you can avoid subject-verb agreement mistakes and create content that is both grammatically correct and effective for SEO. Remember, attention to detail is key in creating quality content that will help your website climb in search engine rankings.