What Is Agreement as It Relates to Grammar Answers.com
Agreement in grammar, also known as concord, refers to the correspondence between the different elements of a sentence, such as the subject and verb, pronoun and antecedent, or adjective and noun. In simple terms, agreement in grammar means that words within a sentence must agree in number, gender, and person.
The subject-verb agreement is a common form of agreement in grammar. This agreement means that the number of the subject (singular or plural) must agree with the number of the verb (singular or plural). For instance, in the sentence, “The dog barks,” the subject (dog) is singular, and the verb (barks) is singular, indicating agreement. Similarly, in the sentence, “The dogs bark,” the subject (dogs) is plural, and the verb (bark) is plural, indicating agreement.
Another form of agreement in grammar is the pronoun-antecedent agreement. This kind of agreement means that a pronoun (he, she, it, they, etc.) must agree in gender, number, and person with its antecedent (the word or phrase to which the pronoun refers). For example, in the sentence, “Maria lost her keys,” the pronoun (her) agrees in gender (feminine) and number (singular) with its antecedent (Maria).
Adjective-noun agreement is another common form of agreement in grammar. Adjectives modify nouns, and they must agree with the noun they modify in number, gender, and person. For instance, in the sentence, “The black cars are fast,” the adjective (black) agrees with the noun (cars) in number (plural).
In conclusion, agreement in grammar is crucial in ensuring that a sentence is grammatically correct and understandable. It helps the reader understand the message being conveyed by ensuring that the elements of the sentence match correctly. Whether it is the subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, or adjective-noun agreement, paying attention to agreement in grammar can improve your writing skills and make your message clearer.
