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The Sneaky Phrase Trap: Subject-Verb Agreement

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What you'll hear

Have you ever been proofreading something important, like an email to your English teacher, and a sentence just… feels a little off? You read it, and re-read it, but can't quite put your finger on why it sounds wrong. That's exactly the kind of sneaky trap we're going to pick apart today, a common mix-up in what we call 'Subject-Verb Agreement'.

Imagine you’re sending in your group project outline, and you’ve written this sentence: 'The collection of rare stamps, including the Guyanese 'Cotton Tree' issue, were quite valuable.' Read that aloud to yourself. Does 'were' sound quite right there, with 'collection'?

It’s a tricky one, isn't it? Your brain probably noticed the word 'stamps' right before the verb, and 'stamps' is plural, so 'were' seems to fit. But 'stamps' isn't actually the word the verb needs to agree with.

This is the sneaky phrase trap we're talking about, where other words try to hide the true subject. Think of it like cooking a delicious Guyanese pepperpot. The main ingredient, maybe the beef or the pork, is the star of the dish.

Then you add all these wonderful spices and cassareep — things like cinnamon, cloves, and hot peppers — they make the dish rich and flavourful, but they aren't the main thing you're cooking, are they?

…the rest of the lesson is on StudyBuddy.

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