Subject-verb agreement is an essential component of effective writing. This grammatical rule dictates that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. In simpler terms, if the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

There are several rules to follow when it comes to subject-verb agreement in writing:

1. Singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. For example, “The dog barks” (singular subject and verb) and “The dogs bark” (plural subject and verb).

2. A compound subject made up of joined nouns takes a plural verb. For example, “The cat and the dog are friends” (plural subjects and verb).

3. When a singular subject is connected by “or” or “nor” to another noun, the verb must agree with the noun closest to it. For example, “Neither the cat nor the dog is hungry” (singular verb because “dog” is singular).

4. When a collective noun (a noun that represents a group of people or things) is the subject, the verb can be singular or plural, depending on the context and intended meaning. For example, “The team is practicing” (singular verb because the team is acting as one unit) and “The team are arguing about strategy” (plural verb because the team members are acting individually).

5. Indefinite pronouns (such as “everyone”, “anyone”, “someone”, “nobody”) are singular and take singular verbs. For example, “Everyone is invited” (singular subject and verb).

6. The word “there” can be used as a subject, but it is not the true subject of the sentence. The verb should agree with the true subject that follows “there”. For example, “There are three cats in the garden” (plural verb because “cats” is the true subject).

Following these rules will ensure that your writing is grammatically correct and easy to understand. Remember to always check for subject-verb agreement when editing your work. This will not only make your writing look professional, but it will also improve the readability and comprehension of your work.