As a copy editor, one of the most important aspects of my job is ensuring that the text I am editing follows the rules of agreement. These rules dictate how different parts of a sentence, such as subjects and verbs, must agree with one another in terms of tense, number, and person. While these rules may seem straightforward, they can be a stumbling block for many writers, and failing to adhere to them can result in confusing or awkward sentences that will not perform well in terms of SEO. In this article, I will outline four key rules of agreement that all writers should keep in mind when composing their sentences.

1. Subject-verb agreement

The most basic rule of agreement is that the subject of a sentence must agree with the verb in terms of number and person. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural. For example, the sentence « He walks to school every day » uses the singular verb form « walks » to agree with the singular subject « he. » Similarly, the sentence « They walk to school every day » uses the plural verb form « walk » to agree with the plural subject « they. »

2. Pronoun-antecedent agreement

Another important aspect of agreement involves the relationship between pronouns and their antecedents. The antecedent is the noun or noun phrase that the pronoun refers to, and the pronoun must agree with it in terms of number, gender, and person. For example, the sentence « Bill went to the store, and he bought some milk » uses the singular masculine pronoun « he » to refer back to the singular masculine noun « Bill. » In contrast, the sentence « Sue and her friends went to the movies, and they had a great time » uses the plural pronoun « they » to refer back to the plural subject « Sue and her friends. »

3. Noun-pronoun agreement

Another form of agreement involves the relationship between nouns and pronouns in the same sentence. In particular, if a pronoun is used to replace a noun, it should agree with that noun in terms of number and gender. For example, the sentence « Sarah and her sister went shopping, and she bought a new dress » uses the singular feminine pronoun « she » to refer back to the singular feminine noun « Sarah. »

4. Verb tense agreement

Finally, it is important to ensure that verb tenses are used correctly throughout a sentence. In general, a sentence should maintain consistency in terms of tense, and should not switch back and forth between present and past tenses without a clear reason to do so. For example, the sentence « I walked to the store and buy some milk » uses the past tense « walked » and the present tense « buy, » which creates an awkward and confusing sentence. A better way to write this sentence would be « I walked to the store and bought some milk, » which maintains consistency by using the past tense throughout.

By following these four rules of agreement, writers can ensure that their sentences are clear, concise, and grammatically correct. By doing so, they will not only improve the readability of their text, but also increase its chances of ranking high in search engine results pages. As a professional, I highly recommend that all writers take these rules to heart when composing their work.