The First Sign That Your English Needs Improvement
Level: CEFR B1-C1
As an educator who has been working in the ESL world for the past seven years, one of the first signals that someone's English is not very proficient is their ability to use subject-verb agreement correctly, or their inability to do so. For assessors of English proficiency exams like IELTS, Pearson, and others, subject-verb agreement is a big red flag that indicates a lack of proficiency. This issue is often the first and most obvious sign of poor English skills.
Fortunately, it's also one of the easiest grammar topics to fix, yet many students overlook this crucial aspect of mastering grammar.
Given that subject-verb agreement is a major indicator of English proficiency and one of the fastest ways to improve, why aren't more students focusing on it? I suspect that for many learners of English, subject-verb agreement is a mystery. Let’s try to demystify it today. My explanation below is brief and straightforward.
The Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement
To start, let's clarify this simple rule: singular subjects must pair with plural verbs, and plural subjects must pair with singular verbs. Singular + singular = incorrect, and plural + plural = incorrect. Plural verbs usually end with "-s," "-ies," or "-es."
Subject-verb agreement is an issue for students of all levels, from A1 beginners to C1 advanced students. In my six-plus years of providing feedback, I've noticed this issue across all proficiency levels.
- Walk = singular / walks = plural
- Fly = singular / flies = plural
- Go = singular / goes = plural
The What:
In a nutshell, subject-verb agreement is when we use the correct verb with a particular subject. Simply put, singular subjects require plural verbs, and plural subjects require singular verbs. Think of this as “opposites attract.”
The Where & When:
This rule is used only in present simple sentences.
- We don’t use this in negative sentences. Incorrect: She doesn’t works. (We can’t put an ‘s’ in the negative sentence.)
- We don’t use this in questions. Incorrect: Does she works? (We can’t put an ‘s’ in questions.)
The How:
The Rules:
1. Singular subject + plural verb
2. Plural subject + singular verb
The pronoun "you" follows the plural subject rule: You + singular verb.
The Who:
Examples of Plural Subjects:
- You work
- They work
- We work
- I work
- The players work
- The colleagues work
- The attorneys work
- The candidates work
Examples of Singular Subjects:
- He works
- She works
- It works
- The car works
- The computer works
- The office printer works
- The system works
The Why:
In American English, singular nouns like "the team," "the company," "the country," and so on are combined with plural verbs:
- Example (American English): The team agrees on the new idea. (This is incorrect in British English.)
In British English, singular nouns that represent groups of people, such as "the team," "the country," "the crew," and so on, are combined with singular verbs:
- Example (British English): The team agree on the new idea. (This is incorrect in American English.)
Final Message:
Mastering subject-verb agreement shouldn't be complicated. I've encountered many types of learners over the years. Some of the most successful students are those who maintain a positive outlook on learning. They often say things like "I can do this" or "I'm sure it can be easy." Conversely, students who struggle tend to adopt a negative mindset, immediately putting obstacles in their path by saying things like "It's hard!" or "I can't learn this."
In the United States, we have a saying: "If there is a will, there's a way." So, which type of learner are you?
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