Subject-verb agreement is a critical aspect of writing that is often overlooked, yet it is crucial to ensure the clarity and meaning of a sentence. As a professional, one of the most common problems I come across is the issue of notional agreement and proximity.

Notional agreement refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb based on the idea or concept conveyed, rather than the grammatical number of the subject. For instance, when using collective nouns such as team, family, or committee, the verb should agree with the notion of the group as a whole, rather than the individual members. For example, «The team is playing well,» is correct, while «The team are playing well,» is incorrect.

Proximity agreement, on the other hand, refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb based on the noun closest to the verb, regardless of the grammatical number of the subject. For example, in the sentence «The flowers, along with the vase, adds color to the room,» the verb should agree with the closest noun, which is «vase,» making «add» the correct verb.

It is vital to differentiate between notional and proximity agreement to ensure the meaning of the sentence is conveyed accurately. For instance, in the sentence «The committee meets every Tuesday,» the verb «meets» agrees with the collective noun «committee» based on the notional agreement that the group acts as a single entity. If we replace «committee» with «members,» the sentence structure changes, and the verb should be «meet» to reflect the grammatically plural subject.

Another example of notional agreement can be seen in sentences that use indefinite pronouns such as «everyone,» «anyone,» and «nobody.» In these cases, the verb should agree with the notion of the pronoun and not with the grammatical number, as in «Everyone is responsible for their actions,» where «is» agrees with the notional singular noun «everyone.»

In conclusion, notional agreement and proximity agreement are essential in ensuring the subject-verb agreement in a sentence. As a professional, it is crucial to pay attention to these nuances and make sure that the meaning of the sentence remains clear and accurate. By doing so, you can help optimize your content to rank better on search engine results pages and deliver a more polished message to your audience.