One of the most important concepts to understand when it comes to grammar is agreement, or the idea that the different parts of a sentence must agree with each other in terms of number, gender, and tense.
For example, if you have a subject that is singular (like « the dog »), you need to have a singular verb form (like « chases ») to show agreement. Similarly, if you have a plural subject (like « the dogs »), you need to have a plural verb form (like « chase »).
Agreement can also come into play when you`re dealing with pronouns, which must agree in gender and number with the noun they replace. For instance, if you have a sentence like « Mary and her friend went to the store, but they forgot their wallets, » the pronoun « they » needs to be plural to match the fact that it`s referring to two people.
Tense agreement is also important, as it helps ensure that the action in a sentence unfolds in a logical, coherent way. If you have a sentence like « I walked to the store and buy some groceries, » the tense agreement is off because « walked » is past tense and « buy » is present tense. Instead, the sentence should say « I walked to the store and bought some groceries » to maintain tense agreement.
In summary, agreement is crucial for making sure that your sentences make sense and are grammatically correct. Taking the time to double check for agreement can go a long way in helping you communicate clearly and effectively.