Explain the concept of agreement in number and provide examples.

The concept of agreement in number refers to the grammatical rule that states that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in terms of their number. In other words, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. This agreement ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and coherent.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of agreement in number:

1. Singular subject with singular verb:
- The cat sleeps peacefully on the couch.
- She sings beautifully in the choir.
- The car drives smoothly on the highway.

In these examples, the singular subjects "cat," "she," and "car" are paired with the singular verbs "sleeps," "sings," and "drives," respectively.

2. Plural subject with plural verb:
- The dogs bark loudly in the park.
- They play soccer every weekend.
- The students study diligently for their exams.

In these examples, the plural subjects "dogs," "they," and "students" are matched with the plural verbs "bark," "play," and "study," respectively.

3. Subject-verb agreement with indefinite pronouns:
- Everyone loves chocolate.
- Somebody left their umbrella in the office.
- Neither of the options is suitable.

In these examples, the indefinite pronouns "everyone," "somebody," and "neither" are considered singular, so they are followed by singular verbs "loves," "left," and "is," respectively.

4. Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns:
- The team is practicing for the upcoming match.
- My family enjoys going on vacations together.
- The committee has made a decision.

In these examples, the collective nouns "team," "family," and "committee" are treated as singular, so they are paired with singular verbs "is," "enjoys," and "has," respectively.

It is important to note that subject-verb agreement can sometimes be tricky, especially when dealing with compound subjects, phrases that come between the subject and verb, or when the subject is separated from the verb by a prepositional phrase. However, by understanding the concept of agreement in number and practicing with various examples, one can improve their grammatical accuracy in writing and speaking.