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.