Equal agreement, also known as subject-verb agreement, is a fundamental concept in the English language that refers to the correspondence between the subject and the verb in a sentence. The basic rule of equal agreement states that the subject and verb must agree in number, meaning that if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular; and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural too.

The following are some examples of equal agreement:

– The dog barks. (singular subject and singular verb)

– The cats meow. (plural subject and plural verb)

– She plays soccer. (singular subject and singular verb)

– They play soccer. (plural subject and plural verb)

However, equal agreement can become tricky when dealing with certain subjects. For instance, when the subject is a collective noun, such as «team» or «group,» the verb can either be singular or plural depending on the context and meaning of the sentence.

For example:

– The team is ready to play. (singular verb because «team» is viewed as a single unit)

– The team are arguing among themselves. (plural verb because «team» is viewed as a group of individuals)

Another example is when the subject is made of two or more nouns connected by «and.» In this case, the verb must be plural unless the nouns refer to a single entity or thing.

For example:

– Tom and Jerry are friends. (plural verb because «Tom» and «Jerry» are two different individuals)

– Peanut butter and jelly is my favorite sandwich. (singular verb because «peanut butter» and «jelly» refer to a single thing)

Equal agreement also applies to more complex sentence structures, such as compound subjects and inverted sentences. The key is to identify the subject of the sentence and make sure the verb agrees with it in number and person.

In conclusion, equal agreement is a crucial aspect of good grammar and clear communication. As a copy editor, it`s important to pay attention to subject-verb agreement when reviewing content for SEO purposes. By ensuring that the subject and verb are in agreement, you can help improve the readability and comprehension of your writing, making it more likely to rank higher in search engine results.