Indefinite Pronoun Subject Verb Agreement Error

Indefinite Pronoun Subject Verb Agreement Error: What It Is and How to Avoid It

As a copy editor, one of the most common errors I encounter is the indefinite pronoun subject verb agreement error. This error occurs when the subject of a sentence is an indefinite pronoun, such as “everyone,” “someone,” or “anyone,” and the verb does not agree with it in number.

For example, consider the following sentence:

Everyone have a responsibility to their community.

In this sentence, “everyone” is the subject, but the verb “have” is plural. The correct verb form for this sentence should be “has,” as “everyone” is a singular subject.

This error is not limited to just “everyone.” The same mistake can happen with other indefinite pronouns, such as “someone,” “anyone,” “nobody,” and “everybody.”

The correct verb form for these pronouns depends on whether they are singular or plural. “Someone,” “anyone,” and “nobody” are singular, and should take singular verbs, while “everyone” and “everybody” are plural and should take plural verbs.

To avoid indefinite pronoun subject verb agreement errors, always double-check the agreement between the subject and verb in a sentence. If the subject is an indefinite pronoun, be sure to determine whether it is singular or plural before choosing the verb form.

Additionally, it can be helpful to rephrase sentences to avoid indefinite pronouns altogether. For example, instead of writing “everyone has a responsibility,” you could write “each person has a responsibility.”

In conclusion, indefinite pronoun subject verb agreement errors are a common mistake that can be easily avoided with careful attention to verb agreement and clarity in sentence structure. By taking the time to double-check and rephrase where necessary, copy editors can ensure that their writing is clear, concise, and free of errors.