Agreement Determined: Understanding the Importance of Agreement in Sentences

Agreement in sentences is a fundamental concept in English grammar that many people often overlook. However, it is essential to ensure grammatical correctness and easier understanding of sentences. Agreement in English grammar is a process of matching the subject and verb in a sentence in terms of number, person, and tense. Hence, an agreement determined sentence is one that aligns the subject and verb to make sense in the sentence.

Number Agreement in Sentences

Number agreement is the most common type of agreement. It simply means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in terms of their number. For instance, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. Here is an example:

The dog barks.

In this sentence, the subject – dog is singular, and the verb – barks is also singular. They match, making the sentence grammatically correct.

Person Agreement in Sentences

Person agreement is another essential type of agreement. It means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in terms of person. In English grammar, there are three persons – first person (singular and plural), second person (singular and plural), and third person (singular and plural).

For instance, when a sentence has a subject that is in the first person, the verb must also be in the first person. Same goes for the second and third person. Here is an example:

I am eating my breakfast.

In this sentence, the subject – I is in the first person, and the verb – am eating is also in the first person. They match, making the sentence grammatically correct.

Tense Agreement in Sentences

Tense agreement is also crucial in ensuring agreement in a sentence. It means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in terms of tense. Tense is the time at which the action in the sentence happened. Verb tense in English grammar has three main forms – past, present, and future.

For instance, when a sentence`s subject is in the present tense, the verb must also be in the present tense. Similarly, when the subject is in the past tense, the verb must be in the past tense. Here is an example:

She is cooking dinner.

In this sentence, the subject – She is in the present tense, and the verb – cooking is also in the present tense. They match, making the sentence grammatically correct.

In conclusion, agreement determined sentences are essential in ensuring grammatical correctness in sentences. It helps to make the sentence easier to understand and prevents ambiguity. Therefore, it is crucial to pay attention to number, person, and tense while constructing sentences in English grammar.