Agreement After Prepositional Phrases: How to Ensure Proper Subject-Verb Agreement in Your Writing
As a writer, it is important to have a solid understanding of grammar rules, especially when it comes to subject-verb agreement. One area that can often be tricky is ensuring agreement after prepositional phrases.
Prepositional phrases are groups of words that begin with a preposition (such as «in,» «on,» «at,» «with,» etc.) and end with a noun or pronoun. These phrases provide information about time, place, or direction. For example, «in the morning,» «on the table,» «at the park,» «with my friends.»
When a prepositional phrase comes before the subject of a sentence, it can sometimes cause confusion in determining subject-verb agreement. The verb must agree with the subject, which is not always the word immediately following the preposition.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when dealing with prepositional phrases and subject-verb agreement:
1. Ignore the prepositional phrase
One way to determine subject-verb agreement is to ignore the prepositional phrase and focus on the subject itself. For example, in the sentence «The book on the table is mine,» the subject is «book,» which is singular. Therefore, the verb «is» should also be singular to agree with the subject.
2. Pay attention to the subject
Make sure you correctly identify the subject of the sentence and determine if it is singular or plural. For example, in the sentence «The students in the classroom are studying,» the subject is «students,» which is plural. Therefore, the verb «are» should also be plural to agree with the subject.
3. Be cautious with compound subjects
If the prepositional phrase is between two subjects that are joined by «and,» it is important to make sure the verb is plural to match both subjects. For example, in the sentence «The cat and dog in the yard are playing,» both «cat» and «dog» are subjects, and they are joined by «and.» Therefore, the verb «are» should be plural to agree with both subjects.
4. Beware of phrases that look like subjects
Sometimes, a prepositional phrase can look like a subject, but it is not. For example, in the sentence «The woman with the glasses is my mother,» «with the glasses» is not the subject; «woman» is the subject. Therefore, the verb «is» should be singular to agree with the subject.
In conclusion, prepositional phrases can be a challenge when it comes to ensuring proper subject-verb agreement in writing. By paying attention to the subject, being cautious with compound subjects, and ignoring phrases that look like subjects, writers can confidently navigate this grammar rule and produce clear, accurate writing that is optimized for search engines.