By: Jane Sumerset
Submitted: 2010-01-31 09:19:26 | Word Count: 525
Writing a subject as part of your content writing can be much intimidating especially if you’re not aware of its forms and identities. There are a lot of subjects that are confusing and hard to use and not all people are aware of this issue. You might find yourself writing your own piece and you didn’t notice that your subject is not appropriate within your sentences. That is, you might mess in following the subject verb agreement within your statements.
Although there are a lot of subjects, either a noun or a pronoun, that can be easily identified whether they are plural or singular due to the “s” or “es” at the end of the word. We all know what that means. However, there are also words where spellings are being changed when it comes to its plural forms.
[ advertisement ]
Despite the different forms of the subject in the sentences, indefinite subjects are the hardest form of subjects that a writer can use especially if you are a beginner in the writing field. Words like everyone, anyone, anybody, someone and the rest of words that categorized as an indefinite subject can be very confusing since one might don’t recognize which is in the plural or singular form. That can be a difficult task in your part. However, knowing these words further will help you improve your grammar even more.
It is impossible not to use subjects in your sentences as it may turn your grammar bad. As a result, it may be subjected as an incomplete thought and the quality of your writing will surely decrease.
Some forms of writing, depending on the subject, will often require you to use inclusive pronouns and grammar constructs, rather than singular, specific ones. This becomes especially prominent when you end up writing profiles about individuals and organizations.
A few writers don’t give it too much thought, using “he” or “she” liberally, allowing the reader to figure out the reference on their own. While that’s not a bad way of doing things, it can lead to potential problems down the line.
When an indefinite subject, such as a homogenous group of people, is referred to using a singular personal pronoun, it can cause a varied range of reactions. On the benign end, some amount of confusion will almost always arise, which the writer is counting on can be overcome by the readers on their own. On the harsher extreme, however, you might end up angering certain groups of readers (such as when you refer to an indefinitely gendered secretary as a “she”).
To be on the safe side, always use inclusive pronouns and phrases when referring to indefinite subjects. It’s not only politically correct, it also makes more sense. After all, when you’re unsure about a fact, do you go ahead stating it as a truism or add a short disclaimer to let the reader know of its uncertain veracity?
Additionally, always use an English writing software with the specific instructions to catch these transgressions. Even when you consciously mean to use an inclusive word, after all, you can still make a mistake.
Author Resource:-
Find out how to write perfect English letters, reports and emails by writing less. See English Writing Software in action! http://www.grammarsoftware.com
