As a copy editor, one of the most important aspects of ensuring grammatical correctness is identifying subject-verb agreement. Subject-verb agreement means that the subject of a sentence and its verb must match in number. This means that singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Here are some tips on how to identify subject-verb agreement:

1. Identify the subject: The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about. It can be a noun, pronoun, or even a phrase. For example, in the sentence “The dog barks,” “dog” is the subject.

2. Determine the number of the subject: The number of the subject refers to whether it is singular or plural. If the subject is a singular noun or pronoun, it takes a singular verb. If the subject is a plural noun or pronoun, it takes a plural verb. For example, in the sentence “The dogs bark,” “dogs” is the plural subject and takes the verb “bark.”

3. Pay attention to subject-verb proximity: The subject and verb should be close together in the sentence, with no other words in between them. This helps avoid confusion and ensures that the correct verb form is used. For example, in the sentence “The cat, along with his toys, is in the box,” the singular subject “cat” takes the singular verb “is.”

4. Watch out for tricky subjects: Some subjects can be tricky, such as collective nouns (e.g. team, family, committee) that can be singular or plural depending on the context. Another tricky subject is the phrase “the number of,” which takes a singular verb even though “number” is a singular noun. For example, in the sentence “The number of students in the classroom is 20,” the singular verb “is” is used.

In conclusion, identifying subject-verb agreement is crucial in ensuring grammatical correctness in your writing. By following the tips above, you can confidently use the correct verb form for any subject. Remember to always double-check your work and have a firm grasp of grammar rules to produce error-free copy.