Subject complement concord refers to the grammatical agreement within a sentence that ensures consistency in number (singular or plural) between the subject, the linking verb, and the subject complement. This agreement is fundamental for clear and correct English.
Understanding Subject Complement Concord
At its core, subject complement concord is about maintaining a harmonious numerical relationship among key sentence elements. It ensures that if the subject is singular, the verb and the subject complement also reflect singularity, and similarly for plurality.
Key Components
To grasp subject complement concord, it's essential to understand its three primary components:
- Subject: The noun or pronoun that the sentence is about, performing the action or being described.
- Linking Verb: A verb that connects the subject to a subject complement, rather than showing action. Common linking verbs include forms of to be (e.g., is, are, was, were), seem, become, feel, look, sound, smell, taste, etc.
- Subject Complement: A word or phrase that follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject. Subject complements can be:
- Predicate Nouns/Pronouns: Nouns or pronouns that rename the subject.
- Predicate Adjectives: Adjectives that describe the subject.
The Principle of Agreement
The principle of subject complement concord dictates that the linking verb must always agree in number with its subject. Beyond this, a crucial aspect of this concord is how the subject complement relates to the subject's number. When the subject complement is a noun or pronoun, it typically aligns in number with the subject. This means:
- If the subject is singular, the linking verb will be singular, and a noun subject complement will also be in its singular form.
- If the subject is plural, the linking verb will be plural, and a noun subject complement will similarly take its plural form, often by an altered suffix (like adding '-s' or '-es'). This consistent number across the subject, verb, and the subject complement (which comes in the complement clause after the linking verb) ensures that the entire statement maintains grammatical coherence regarding singularity or plurality.
Illustrative Examples of Subject Complement Concord
Here are examples demonstrating how subject complement concord works:
| Subject | Linking Verb | Subject Complement | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| She | is | a doctor. | Singular subject, singular verb, singular noun complement. |
| They | are | doctors. | Plural subject, plural verb, plural noun complement (notice the altered suffix 's'). |
| The house | was | old. | Singular subject, singular verb, adjective complement (adjectives don't change for number). |
| My friends | became | teachers. | Plural subject, plural verb, plural noun complement. |
| He | seems | tired. | Singular subject, singular verb, adjective complement. |
In these examples, the subject and the verb always agree in number. When the subject complement is a noun, it also aligns its number with the subject, reinforcing the overall concord.
Importance of Concord
Adhering to subject complement concord is vital for:
- Clarity: It prevents ambiguity and ensures that the meaning of the sentence is immediately clear to the reader or listener.
- Correctness: It is a fundamental rule of standard English grammar, contributing to grammatically sound writing and speech.
- Professionalism: Proper grammatical agreement enhances the credibility and professionalism of communication.
By understanding and applying subject complement concord, one can construct sentences that are not only grammatically correct but also precise and easy to understand.
