Agreement You Sentences

Agreement in Your Sentences: An SEO Copy Editor`s Guide

As a copy editor, it`s crucial to understand the importance of proper agreement in your sentences. Agreement refers to ensuring that the subject and verb in a sentence match in terms of number and tense. When your sentences have proper agreement, they are easier to read, understand, and rank higher in search engine results for relevant keywords. In this article, we`ll dive into the specifics of agreement and how to apply it to your writing.

Subject-Verb Agreement

The most common form of agreement is between the subject and the verb in a sentence. The subject is the person or thing that is doing or being described, while the verb is the action or state of being. For example, in the sentence „The cat meows loudly,“ the subject is „cat,“ and the verb is „meows.“ It is essential to ensure that the subject and verb agree in terms of number and tense.

Number Agreement

Matching the number of the subject and the verb means using the singular or plural form correctly. For example, in the sentence „The cat meows loudly,“ „cat“ is singular. Therefore, the verb must also be singular: „meows.“ In contrast, in the sentence „The cats meow loudly,“ „cats“ is plural. Therefore, the verb must also be plural: „meow.“

Tense Agreement

Matching the tense of the subject and the verb means using the correct form of the verb based on when the action is taking place. For example, in the sentence „The cat meowed loudly,“ the verb „meowed“ is in the past tense because the action already happened. In contrast, in the sentence „The cat meows loudly,“ the verb „meows“ is in the present tense because the action is happening now.

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Another form of agreement to keep in mind is between the pronoun and its antecedent. A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun, while the antecedent is the noun that the pronoun refers to. For example, in the sentence „John went to the store, and he bought groceries,“ „he“ is the pronoun, and „John“ is the antecedent. It is essential to ensure that the pronoun and its antecedent agree in terms of number, gender, and person.

Number Agreement

Matching the number of the pronoun and its antecedent means using the singular or plural form correctly. For example, in the sentence „John went to the store, and they bought groceries,“ „they“ is plural. However, „John“ is singular. To ensure proper agreement, you could rewrite the sentence as „John went to the store and bought groceries.“

Gender Agreement

Matching the gender of the pronoun and its antecedent means using the correct pronoun based on the person`s gender. For example, in the sentence „John went to the store, and she bought groceries,“ „she“ is the incorrect pronoun because „John“ is male. To ensure proper agreement, you could use the correct pronoun: „John went to the store, and he bought groceries.“

Person Agreement

Matching the person of the pronoun and its antecedent means using the correct form of the pronoun based on who is speaking. For example, in the sentence „John went to the store, and they bought groceries,“ „they“ is incorrect because the sentence is referring to John, not the speaker. To ensure proper agreement, you could use the correct pronoun: „John went to the store, and he bought groceries.“

SEO Benefits of Proper Agreement

Proper agreement in your writing can benefit your SEO efforts in several ways. First, it makes your writing easier to read and understand, which can lead to higher engagement and lower bounce rates from your website. Second, it signals to search engines that your content is of high quality and relevance to the user`s search query, which can lead to higher rankings. Finally, it can help you target specific keywords more effectively by ensuring that your sentences include the appropriate subject-verb agreement.

Conclusion

Agreement in your sentences is a crucial aspect of copy editing, particularly for SEO purposes. By ensuring that your subject and verb, as well as your pronoun and antecedent, agree in terms of number, tense, gender, and person, you can produce high-quality content that is more engaging, easier to read, and more likely to rank well in search engine results. With this guide, you`re well-equipped to achieve proper agreement in your writing and take your SEO efforts to the next level.