Subject-Verb Agreement and Plural Pronouns: Ensuring Grammatical Correctness

When constructing sentences, one of the fundamental rules of English grammar is subject-verb agreement. This rule ensures that the verb form matches the subject of the sentence. A common mistake occurs when dealing with plural pronouns like “these”. In this article, we will explore the correct usage of plural pronouns and their corresponding verb forms. We will also address a few common misconceptions and provide clear examples to help you avoid such errors in your writing.

Understanding Plural Pronouns and Subject-Verb Agreement

Plural pronouns, such as “these”, “those”, and “they”, are used to refer to more than one person or thing. The key to correct subject-verb agreement is ensuring that the verb agrees with the subject in terms of number (singular or plural).

Example: These help me to understand.

In this sentence, “these” is a plural pronoun, and the corresponding verb “help” is also in its plural form to match “these”. This is an example of proper subject-verb agreement. Similarly, in the past tense, you would say:

These helped me to understand.

Common Misunderstandings and Corrections

In some cases, writers may be unsure whether to use the plural or singular form of a verb when dealing with plural pronouns. Let’s address a few common misunderstandings:

Incorrect: “He/she/it/this/that help me to understand”

Here, the singular pronouns “he,” “she,” “it,” “this,” and “that” are incorrectly paired with the plural verb form “help”. The correct form would be:

Correct: “He/she/it/this/that helps me to understand.”

Incorrect: “This help me to understand” and “It help me to understand”

These sentences also contain a subject-verb agreement error. In English, the third-person singular pronouns “he,” “she,” and “it” take the verb form with an “s”. Therefore:

Correct: “This helps me to understand” and “It helps me to understand.”

Correct Sentence Structures

To ensure grammatical correctness, follow these guidelines:

Plural pronouns (e.g., “these,” “those,” “they”) take plural verbs. Singular pronouns (e.g., “he,” “she,” “it”) take singular verbs. The third-person singular pronouns “he,” “she,” and “it” need an “s” if they are in present tense. Use the present tense form of the verb for all pronouns.

Examples:

These help me to understand. This helps me to understand. They help me to understand. Those help me to understand. He helps me to understand. She helps me to understand. It helps me to understand. These helped me to understand. This helped me to understand. They helped me to understand. Those helped me to understand. He helped me to understand. She helped me to understand. It helped me to understand.

Additional Tips for Clarity

In formal writing, avoiding the use of the word “to” after “help” can make the sentence more concise. Therefore, the following versions are equally correct:

These help me understand. This help me understand. These helped me understand. This helped me understand.

When in doubt, remember to:

Check the subject-verb agreement. Ensure that the verb form matches the subject in terms of number. Avoid adding an “s” to the verb when the subject is a plural pronoun like “these”.

In conclusion, understanding and applying subject-verb agreement is crucial for clear and grammatically correct writing. By remembering these guidelines and practicing their application, you can improve the quality of your written communication.

Stay tuned for more tips on grammar and writing!