As a professional, I know the importance of subject-verb agreement in writing. It is one of the essential elements of good writing and can impact the readability and comprehensibility of your content. That is why I want to talk about a commonly used word that can cause confusion when it comes to subject-verb agreement – “some.”
The word “some” is often used as a determiner or pronoun and can be singular or plural. For example, “Some people like pizza” is plural, while “Somebody forgot their keys” is singular. However, when “some” is used as a subject, it can be tricky to determine whether it should be considered singular or plural.
In most cases, when “some” is used as a subject, it is considered plural. For instance, “Some of the students are absent today.” In this example, the subject “some of the students” refers to a group of people, and the verb “are” agrees with the plural subject.
However, there are some instances where “some” can be considered singular. The rule of thumb is to determine whether the noun that follows “some” is countable or uncountable. If the noun is uncountable, then “some” is considered singular. For instance, “Some water is spilled on the floor.” In this example, “water” is an uncountable noun, and “some” is considered singular.
On the other hand, if the noun is countable, then “some” is considered plural. For instance, “Some of the apples are rotten.” In this example, “apples” are countable nouns, and “some” is considered plural.
In summary, when it comes to subject-verb agreement, “some” can be considered singular or plural depending on the noun that follows it. As a professional, I recommend double-checking the subject-verb agreement in your content to ensure clarity and avoid confusion for your readers. Remember that correct subject-verb agreement is essential in creating high-quality and easy-to-read content that is SEO-friendly.