Explain the concept of subject-verb agreement in passive voice sentences.

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Explain the concept of subject-verb agreement in passive voice sentences.

Subject-verb agreement is a grammatical concept that ensures that the subject and the verb in a sentence are in agreement in terms of number and person. In passive voice sentences, the subject of the sentence receives the action rather than performing it. Therefore, subject-verb agreement in passive voice sentences is slightly different from that in active voice sentences.

In passive voice sentences, the verb agrees with the subject in terms of number and person. This means that if the subject is singular, the verb should be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well. For example:

Active Voice: The cat chases the mouse.
Passive Voice: The mouse is chased by the cat.

In the active voice sentence, the subject "cat" is singular, and the verb "chases" agrees with it. However, in the passive voice sentence, the subject "mouse" is singular, and the verb "is chased" agrees with it.

Similarly, if the subject in the active voice sentence is plural, the verb in the passive voice sentence should also be plural. For example:

Active Voice: The students solve the math problems.
Passive Voice: The math problems are solved by the students.

In this case, the plural subject "students" in the active voice sentence corresponds to the plural verb "solve." In the passive voice sentence, the verb "are solved" agrees with the plural subject "math problems."

It is important to note that in passive voice sentences, the verb "to be" is used as an auxiliary verb, followed by the past participle of the main verb. The form of the verb "to be" should also agree with the subject in terms of number and person. For example:

Active Voice: She writes the letter.
Passive Voice: The letter is written by her.

In this example, the singular subject "she" in the active voice sentence corresponds to the singular form of the verb "is" in the passive voice sentence.

In summary, subject-verb agreement in passive voice sentences ensures that the verb agrees with the subject in terms of number and person. This agreement is achieved by using the appropriate form of the verb "to be" and the past participle of the main verb. By maintaining subject-verb agreement, clarity and grammatical correctness are achieved in passive voice constructions.