Subject-verb agreement objectives are a fundamental aspect of grammar that every copy editor must understand. The objective of subject-verb agreement is to ensure that the subject and the verb within a sentence are in agreement in terms of person and number. This means that the verb must agree with the subject in terms of whether it is singular or plural and whether it is in the first, second or third person.

The importance of subject-verb agreement in copy editing cannot be overstated. Failure to adhere to the rules of subject-verb agreement can result in awkward sentences that are difficult to interpret. It can also lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the text. This can be particularly problematic in the case of online content, where search engines rely on the clarity of text to determine rankings.

One of the most common errors in subject-verb agreement occurs when the subject and verb are separated by other words in the sentence. For example, consider the sentence: „One of the reasons for his success are his communication skills.“ In this sentence, the subject is „one“ which is singular, but the verb „are“ is plural. This error can be corrected by changing the verb to „is“ to agree with the singular subject.

Another common mistake is to use a singular subject with a plural verb, or vice versa. For instance, the sentence „The team are playing well“ is incorrect because the subject „team“ is singular and should therefore be paired with a singular verb like „is“. Similarly, „The dogs barks loudly“ is incorrect because the plural subject „dogs“ requires a plural verb like „bark“.

Another important aspect of subject-verb agreement is the use of compound subjects. A compound subject is formed by two or more subjects joined by a conjunction like „and“. In this case, the verb should be plural to agree with the plural subject. For example, „John and Mary are going to the party“ is correct. However, if the subjects are joined by „or“ or „nor“, the verb should agree with the subject closest to it. For instance, „Neither John nor Mary is going to the party“ is correct because „Mary“ is closer to the verb „is“.

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is a crucial element of grammar that all copy editors must understand. The objective is to ensure that the subject and verb within a sentence are in agreement in terms of person and number. Failure to adhere to the rules of subject-verb agreement can lead to awkward sentences that are difficult to interpret, resulting in misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the text. Remember to watch out for common errors such as separation of the subject and verb within a sentence, use of singular subject with plural verb or vice versa, and the use of compound subjects. By mastering the rules of subject-verb agreement, copy editors can produce clear and concise texts that are easily understood by readers and search engines alike.