Agreement of Verb with the Subject: A Crucial SEO Factor
When it comes to creating content for the web, SEO (search engine optimization) is a critical consideration. One of the key elements of effective SEO is ensuring that your content is well-written and error-free. This means paying attention to grammar, punctuation, and other elements that can impact the readability and SEO ranking of your content.
One of the most fundamental aspects of grammar that copy editors need to focus on is the agreement of verb with the subject. This involves making sure that the verb in a sentence agrees in number and person with the subject of the sentence. When this basic rule is not followed, it can lead to confusion and make it difficult for readers to understand what is being said.
For example, consider the following sentence:
“The team was playing their best game of the season.”
In this sentence, the subject is “team,” which is singular. However, the verb “was” is plural, which creates a disagreement between the subject and the verb. This error can confuse readers and make it difficult for search engine algorithms to understand the meaning of the sentence, which can negatively impact SEO rankings.
To correct this error, the sentence should be written as:
“The team was playing its best game of the season.”
In this revised sentence, the verb “was” agrees in number and person with the singular subject “team.” This makes the sentence clear and easy to understand, which can improve its readability and SEO ranking.
Another common error that copy editors need to watch out for is subject-verb disagreement in compound sentences. In these cases, the verb should agree with the subject closest to it, rather than the overall subject of the sentence.
For example:
“Neither the coach nor the players were happy with the result of the game.”
In this sentence, the subject is “coach” and “players,” which is plural. However, the verb “were” is also plural, which creates a disagreement between the subject and the verb. To correct this error, the sentence should be rewritten as:
“Neither the coach nor the players was happy with the result of the game.”
In this revised sentence, the verb “was” agrees in number and person with the singular subject “coach.”
In conclusion, the agreement of verb with the subject is a crucial element of effective writing for the web. Copy editors need to ensure that all content is written in clear, grammatically correct language that is easy for readers to understand. By following this fundamental rule of grammar, copy editors can help improve the readability and SEO ranking of web content.