The Voice Agreement

The Voice Agreement: Understanding the Importance of Consistency in Writing

When it comes to effective communication and messaging, consistency is key. One way to ensure consistency in your writing is by paying attention to the voice agreement.

The voice agreement refers to the matching of the subject and verb in a sentence to maintain grammatical consistency. In simpler terms, it means that the tense and person of the subject and verb should agree with each other.

For example, if your subject is singular, your verb should also be singular. Similarly, if your subject is in the present tense, your verb should also be in the present tense.

Here’s an example:

Incorrect: The team are planning their next move.

Correct: The team is planning its next move.

In the incorrect sentence, “team” is singular but the verb “are” is plural. In the correct sentence, both subject and verb are singular, maintaining grammatical consistency.

Why is the Voice Agreement Important for SEO?

Maintaining consistency in your writing is important for SEO because it enhances readability and user experience. When your content is well-written and easy to understand, it increases the likelihood of your readers engaging with it and staying on your site for longer periods.

Additionally, search engines reward high-quality content by ranking it higher in search results. Consistency in your writing is a signal to search engines that your content is valuable and deserves to be ranked higher.

Tips for Maintaining Voice Agreement

To maintain consistency in your writing and ensure voice agreement, here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Identify the subject of your sentence and make sure the verb agrees with it.

2. Pay attention to the tense of your subject and make sure the verb matches it.

3. If your subject is plural, use plural verbs. If your subject is singular, use singular verbs.

4. Be careful when dealing with collective nouns (e.g. team, family) as they can be singular or plural depending on their context.

5. Use a consistent voice throughout your writing. If you start using a passive voice, make sure to continue using it throughout your piece.

In conclusion, the voice agreement is an important aspect of effective writing and can greatly impact your SEO. By paying attention to subject-verb agreement, you can ensure that your content is well-written and easy to understand for your readers. So, next time you’re writing, take a moment to ensure your voice agreement is correct!