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agreement

grammar
Also known as: concord

Quick Summary

In grammar, subject-verb agreement means that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb. For example, "The student is" and "The students are".1

Sometimes, agreement is based on meaning rather than form, which is called notional agreement or notional concord. This occurs when a plural verb is used with a singular noun that implies plurality, such as collective nouns like "crowd" or "committee". For instance, "A committee of volunteers were selected" is acceptable because "were" agrees with the plural "volunteers". This principle is more common in British English.1

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