Final answer:
A verb expresses action or state and needs to agree with its subject in number. The subject often precedes the verb and is the doer or main character. Understanding subject/verb agreement is essential for correct sentence structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The verb is a key component in the structure of a sentence, expressing actions, occurrences, or states of being. Its role is to indicate what the subject is doing or to describe the subject's state. The subject of a sentence usually appears before the verb and identifies who or what is carrying out the action. In order to maintain proper grammar, there must be subject/verb agreement, where a singular subject is paired with a singular verb form, and a plural subject with a plural verb form. It is also important to identify nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs in sentences to understand their function and ensure correct syntax.
Complex sentences may contain phrases or clauses that separate the subject from the verb, which can potentially lead to errors in agreement. For example:
- The phrase 'to attend a party without pants' is singular, so the correct verb form should also be singular: 'is'.
- In the sentence 'Running a marathon is his idea of a vacation!', the subject is the phrase 'Running a marathon', and the singular form 'is' correctly matches the subject.
Remember, subjects can be phrases and even clauses, but regardless of their complexity, the verb must agree in number.