Common mistake Possible agreement error: singular noun + plural verb

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Common Mistakes in English Grammar

Possible agreement error: singular noun + plural verb

One of the most common mistakes in English grammar is related to subject-verb agreement. In some cases, a singular noun is incorrectly paired with a plural verb, or vice versa. This mistake can create confusion and make your writing sound awkward.

For example:

Incorrect: The group of students has been studying for their exams.
Correct: The group of students has been studying for its exams.

In the incorrect sentence, the singular noun "group" is followed by the plural pronoun "their," which doesn't agree in number. The correct form should use the singular pronoun "its."

This type of agreement error commonly occurs when the subject and the noun that the verb refers to are not in close proximity in the sentence. To avoid this mistake, make sure to identify the correct subject of the sentence and match it with the appropriate verb form.

Linguix Grammar Checker can help you detect this error by highlighting instances of possible agreement errors in your writing. It provides suggestions for corrections, ensuring that your subject and verb are in agreement for clarity and correctness.

Possible agreement error: singular noun + plural verb mistake examples

Incorrect:
The dog are released.

Correct:
The dog is released.
Correct:
The media has a lot of influence on the outcome of an election.
Correct:
A known mistake is better than an unknown truth.
Correct:
The Academy Award for Best Production Design recognizes achievement...
Correct:
Your shirt button is coming off.
Correct:
The rich are apt to look down upon the poor.
Correct:
The rich are not always happy.
Correct:
The rich are apt to look down on people.
Correct:
The rich are often misers.
Correct:
The rich are not always happier than the poor.
Correct:
Her husband quit shortly after Galt did and joined the strike some...
Correct:
The burglar shut the child in the closet.
Correct:
The burglar burst into his house.
Correct:
The fisherman cast his line into the water.
Correct:
The hill lay covered with snow.
Correct:
The chairperson cut me short.
Correct:
The trip back was very comfortable.
Correct:
The director cast me as the devil.
Correct:
The student center is a good place to strike up conversations.
Correct:
The Syndic General then notifies the Co-princes who in turn appoint ...
Correct:
His official title at the company is Assistant to the President.
Correct:
The greenhouse frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) lays eggs in sma...
Correct:
The remainder are scattered throughout Alaska, both within organize...
Correct:
The official state song of Alaska is "Alaska's Flag", which was adop...
Correct:
Our yacht club has ten members.
Correct:
Our team beat the Lions 3 to 0.
Correct:
The vase burst into fragments.
Correct:
The vase fell to the floor and shattered.
Correct:
The vase fell from the table and crashed to pieces.
Correct:
An alkyl group, generally abbreviated with the symbol R, is a fu...
Correct:
A tablet found on the Greek island Salamis in 1846 AD dates back...
Correct:
The prince fell in love with a woodcutter's daughter.
Correct:
The inscription read: They also left behind a memorial bag containing ...
Correct:
The cruise phase was a relatively uneventful part of the flight, e...
Correct:
The driver felt like taking a rest.
Correct:
The cruise back to Earth was mostly a time for the crew to relax ...
Correct:
My upper right wisdom tooth hurts.
Correct:
The electron pair is attracted so close to the chlorine atom that t...
Correct:
The pommel horse requires more balance than strength.
Correct:
The ayu season has opened.
Correct:
The rocket put a communications satellite into orbit.
Correct:
A birthday cake with twelve candles on top.
Correct:
The bike ride told on Louie.
Correct:
The lion put an end to his prey with one stroke.
Correct:
My mistake cost me my fortune.
Correct:
A Pew Research Center demographic study from 2009 put the percen...
Correct:
The volunteer group provides war victims with food and medicine.
Correct:
My ballpoint pen just ran out of ink.
Correct:
The ball hit him on the left side of the head.
Correct:
The ball hit her in the eye.
Correct:
A ball hit her on the right leg.
Correct:
A fork fell off the table.
Correct:
A pistol bullet went clean through his leg.
Correct:
My band name's Red Hot.
Correct:
The bus stop is across the street.
Correct:
The bus stop is quite handy.
Correct:
The bus stop is near our school.
Correct:
The bus stop is close by.
Correct:
The bus stop is five minutes' walk from here.
Correct:
My bath towel was wet, so it was of no use.
Correct:
The bus fell off the cliff, killing all 10 aboard.
Correct:
His symbol space would be
Correct:
My brother saw to all the arrangements for the party.
Correct:
No longer are the riches of the Bible known only to a few.
Correct:
A lot are accounting documents.

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