Subject and verb agreement is one of the most fundamental principles of grammar. It governs the relationship between the subject and the verb in a sentence, ensuring that they agree in number, person, and tense. When subject and verb agreement is not observed, the sentence can sound awkward, unclear, or even completely nonsensical.

As a professional, I have compiled 28 rules of subject and verb agreement that will help you write clear and precise sentences that Google`s algorithms will love.

1. The verb should agree with the subject in number. For example, "John sings" but "John and Jane sing."

2. The verb should agree with the subject in person. For example, "I am" but "he is."

3. The verb should agree with the subject in tense. For example, "I walked" but "I have walked."

4. The verb "to be" is the exception to the rule. It always agrees with the subject in number, person, and tense. For example, "I am," "he is," and "they were."

5. Pronouns that end in "one," "body," or "thing" are singular and require a singular verb. For example, "someone is" and "something smells."

6. Collective nouns are singular and require a singular verb. For example, "the team wins" and "the committee decides."

7. When using "either...or" or "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject. For example, "Neither the dog nor the cats are hungry" and "Either the cats or the dog is hungry."

8. Indefinite pronouns, such as "all," "most," and "each," are singular and require a singular verb. For example, "All the food is gone" and "Each of the students has a book."

9. Nouns ending in "s" or "es" are plural and require a plural verb. For example, "The cars drive" and "The boxes are heavy."

10. Inverted sentences, such as "Here comes the bus," have the subject after the verb and still require subject-verb agreement.

11. The word "there" is not the subject of the sentence and does not affect subject-verb agreement. For example, "There are many people at the party" and "There is a problem with the car."

12. Gerunds, which are verbs ending in "-ing" that function as nouns, are singular and require a singular verb. For example, "Swimming is my favorite sport."

13. Infinitives, which are verbs that use "to" as a prefix, are singular and require a singular verb. For example, "To be or not to be is the question."

14. When the subject is a fraction or percentage, the verb agrees with the result. For example, "One-third of the pie is gone" and "Fifty percent of the students are here."

15. When using "one of," the verb agrees with the noun that follows. For example, "One of the dogs is barking" and "One of the students is late."

16. When using "none of," the verb agrees with the noun that follows. For example, "None of the dogs are barking" and "None of the students are late."

17. When using "a number of" or "the number of," the verb agrees with the noun that follows. For example, "A number of people are here" and "The number of books is high."

18. When using "some of" or "most of," the verb agrees with the noun that follows. For example, "Some of the books are new" and "Most of the students are here."

19. Phrases that start with "as well as," "along with," and "together with" do not affect subject-verb agreement. For example, "The dog, as well as the cats, is hungry" and "The teacher, along with the students, is going on the field trip."

20. Singular nouns that represent a group, such as "team," "committee," and "family," use a singular verb. For example, "The team wins" and "The family is happy."

21. The verb should agree with the subject, even when the subject is separated from the verb by a phrase or clause. For example, "The book, which is on the shelf, belongs to me" and "The students, after finishing their work, left the classroom."

22. Prepositional phrases, such as "of the students" or "with the cats," do not affect subject-verb agreement.

23. Nouns that represent a specific entity, such as "Microsoft" or "the United States," use a singular verb. For example, "Microsoft develops software" and "The United States is a powerful country."

24. Titles of works, such as books and movies, use a singular verb. For example, "Gone with the Wind is a classic movie."

25. Words that are plural in form but singular in meaning, such as "mathematics" or "news," use a singular verb. For example, "Mathematics is difficult" and "The news is bad."

26. Gender-neutral pronouns, such as "they" and "their," can be used in place of he/him/his or she/her/hers to avoid gender bias.

27. Be consistent with subject-verb agreement throughout your writing, including when using compound subjects or complex sentences.

28. Finally, always proofread your writing to ensure that subject-verb agreement is consistent and correct.

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential aspect of good writing, particularly in SEO. By following these 28 rules, you will be well on your way to writing clear, precise, and grammatically correct sentences that will improve your writing`s readability and Google`s ranking. Happy writing!