Subject-Verb Agreement Subordinate

Subject-verb agreement is a crucial element of the English language. It refers to the idea that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. When a sentence contains subordinate clauses, there are certain rules that must be followed to ensure subject-verb agreement is maintained. In this article, we will discuss the rules of subject-verb agreement in subordinate clauses and how to apply them correctly.

Firstly, it is important to understand what a subordinate clause is. A subordinate clause is a dependent clause that cannot stand alone as a sentence but is connected to an independent clause. It contains a subject and a verb and functions as either an adjective, adverb, or noun within the sentence.

When dealing with subordinate clauses, the basic rule of subject-verb agreement is that the verb must agree with the subject of the clause, regardless of whether it is the main subject of the sentence or not. For example, in the sentence „While he was studying, the other students were playing,“ the verb „were playing“ agrees with the plural subject „students,“ even though it is not the main subject of the sentence.

However, there are certain situations where subject-verb agreement in subordinate clauses can become more complex. It is important to remember that the subject of the subordinate clause may not always be explicitly stated. In these cases, the subject is inferred from the context of the sentence. For example, in the sentence „I will go to the store after I finish my work,“ the subject of the subordinate clause „I finish my work“ is inferred to be „I.“

Another common complication is when the subject of the main clause is different from the subject of the subordinate clause. In these cases, the verb in the subordinate clause should agree with the subject of the clause and not the subject of the main clause. For example, in the sentence „The students who are studying in the library are quiet,“ the verb „are“ agrees with the plural subject „students,“ not the singular subject „library.“

In addition, when using certain words such as „each,“ „every,“ or „none,“ the verb in the subordinate clause should agree with the subject that follows the word, rather than the word itself. For example, in the sentence „None of the students who have taken the exam has passed,“ the verb „has passed“ agrees with the singular subject „none,“ rather than the plural subject „students.“

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of writing grammatically correct sentences. When dealing with subordinate clauses, it is important to remember that the verb must agree with the subject of the clause, regardless of whether it is the main subject of the sentence or not. By following these rules and paying attention to the context of the sentence, writers can ensure their writing is concise, clear, and grammatically correct.