Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in the English language. It is important to ensure that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number. A subject may be singular or plural, and the verb must correspond to the number of the subject. In this article, we will discuss which of the following sentences contains a subject-verb agreement error.
Sentence 1: The group of children is going to the park.
Sentence 2: Neither the teacher nor the students have arrived.
Sentence 3: Each of the students has their own book.
Sentence 4: My friend and I is planning a trip.
Sentence 5: The news from the other side of the world are depressing.
The sentence that contains a subject-verb agreement error is sentence 4: My friend and I is planning a trip.
In this sentence, the subject is „My friend and I,“ which is plural. However, the verb „is planning“ is singular. The correct verb should be „are planning,“ which agrees with the plural subject.
Let`s review the other sentences:
Sentence 1: The group of children is going to the park.
In this sentence, the subject is „group,“ which is singular. The verb „is going“ agrees with the singular subject.
Sentence 2: Neither the teacher nor the students have arrived.
In this sentence, the subject is „Neither the teacher nor the students,“ which is singular. The verb „have arrived“ agrees with the plural noun „students.“
Sentence 3: Each of the students has their own book.
In this sentence, the subject is „Each,“ which is singular. The verb „has“ agrees with the singular subject.
Sentence 5: The news from the other side of the world are depressing.
In this sentence, the subject is „news,“ which is singular. The verb „are“ is plural, which is an error. The correct verb should be „is,“ which agrees with the singular subject.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is essential in writing. It ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and easy to understand. Remember to always check the number of the subject and the verb to avoid errors.