Subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of grammar that involves ensuring that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in terms of number, tense, and person. A subject-verb agreement error occurs when the verb does not match the subject in the sentence. This error can affect the clarity and credibility of your writing, especially in digital content where search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial.

As a professional, it is important to detect and fix subject-verb agreement errors to ensure your content ranks better in search engines. Here is a test to help you identify these errors.

1. Singular vs. plural

The most common subject-verb agreement error is using a singular verb with a plural subject or vice versa. Here`s an example of a sentence with this error:

Incorrect: The team of football players was happy after their win.

Correct: The team of football players were happy after their win.

In this case, the subject `team of football players` is singular, but the verb `were` is plural. The correct verb in this sentence should be singular `was.`

2. Verb tense

Another subject-verb agreement error is using an incorrect verb tense. Remember that the tense of the verb needs to match the time frame of the subject. Here`s an example:

Incorrect: Sarah is working on her project when she was interrupted by her boss.

Correct: Sarah was working on her project when she was interrupted by her boss.

In this sentence, the verb `was interrupted` is past tense, but the subject `Sarah is working` is present tense. The correct verb in this sentence should be past tense `was working.`

3. Collective nouns

Collective nouns refer to a group of people, animals, or things but are treated as a singular noun. When using a collective noun as a subject, the verb should also be singular. Here`s an example:

Incorrect: The committee are still debating the issue.

Correct: The committee is still debating the issue.

In this sentence, `the committee` is a collective noun and refers to a group of people, but we treat it as a singular noun. Therefore, the correct verb should also be singular `is still debating.`

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement errors can affect the credibility and clarity of your writing. By working through this test, you can identify and correct these errors in your content, improving your SEO ranking. Remember to always proofread your work and make necessary edits to ensure your writing is grammatically correct.