Subject-verb agreement is one of the most important aspects of grammar that every CBSE class 9 student must be well-versed in. It refers to the agreement of the subject and the verb in a sentence, meaning that both must agree in person and number to make the sentence grammatically correct.

The rules for subject-verb agreement are relatively simple and easy to understand. In general, a singular subject should always take a singular verb while a plural subject should take a plural verb. Let us take a look at some examples to better understand this concept.

Example 1: The cat chases the mouse.

In this sentence, the singular subject “cat” takes the singular verb “chases”.

Example 2: The dogs chase the ball.

In this sentence, the plural subject “dogs” takes the plural verb “chase”.

It is important to note that when a sentence has a compound subject joined by “and”, the verb should be plural. For instance:

Example 3: The boy and the girl sing songs.

Here, the plural subject “boy and girl” takes the plural verb “sing”.

Similarly, when the subjects are joined by “or” or “nor”, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. For instance:

Example 4: Neither the man nor the woman is the culprit.

In this sentence, the verb “is” agrees with the singular subject “woman”.

Furthermore, when dealing with collective nouns such as “group”, “team”, or “family”, the verb can be either singular or plural depending on the context. If the emphasis is on the group as a singular entity, the verb should be singular. On the other hand, if the emphasis is on the members individually, the verb should be plural. For example:

Example 5: The team is playing well.

In this sentence, the verb “is” agrees with the singular collective noun “team”.

Example 6: The family are enjoying their vacation.

In this sentence, the verb “are” agrees with the plural notion of the members of the collective noun “family”.

In conclusion, a proper understanding of subject-verb agreement is a necessary foundation for strong grammar skills. CBSE class 9 students should practice and master these rules to avoid grammatical errors and communicate more effectively.