Agreement Absent
Agreement Absent: Understanding the Importance of Grammatical Agreement in Writing
Grammatical agreement is an essential aspect of writing that ensures coherence and clarity of meaning. It involves the consistent use of grammatical features such as tense, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun-antecedent agreement, among others.
However, there are instances in which agreement is absent in writing. This means that some grammatical features do not match in number, gender, or tense, resulting in a lack of cohesion and ambiguity in meaning.
The absence of agreement can happen in different ways and for various reasons. It can occur because of a simple oversight or because the writer lacks knowledge of the grammatical rules. It can also result from intentional stylistic choices or dialectical variations in language use.
Regardless of the reason, agreement absent writing can negatively impact the reader`s perception of the writer`s competence and professionalism. It can also hinder effective communication and lead to confusion and misinterpretation of the intended message.
To avoid agreement absent writing, it is crucial to understand and apply the rules of grammatical agreement appropriately. Here are some key areas to focus on:
1. Subject-verb agreement
In sentences, the subject and the verb must agree in number and person. For example, “The boy eats apples” is correct, while “The boy eat apples” is incorrect because the verb “eat” does not agree with the singular subject “the boy.” Similarly, “She runs every day” is correct, while “She run every day” is incorrect because the verb “run” does not agree with the singular subject “she.”
2. Pronoun-antecedent agreement
Pronouns such as he, she, it, they, and them must agree with the antecedent, i.e., the noun they replace, in number, gender, and person. For example, “She loves her job” is correct, while “She loves his job” is incorrect because the pronoun “his” does not agree with the female antecedent “she.”
3. Consistency in tense
The writer must maintain consistency in the use of tense in writing. For example, in a sentence, “I am going to the store, and yesterday I went to the park” is incorrect because it mixes the present and past tense. Instead, it should be written as “I am going to the store, and yesterday, I went to the park” to maintain consistency in the use of the past tense.
In conclusion, agreement absent writing can be detrimental to effective communication and should be avoided in professional writing. By understanding the rules of grammatical agreement and applying them consistently, writers can ensure coherence, clarity, and accuracy in their writing.
