Subject-verb agreement is one of the most basic and important grammar rules in any language. In French, just like in English, it`s crucial to ensure that the verb agrees in number and gender with its subject.

In French, the verb must agree in number with the subject. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. This may seem simple, but there are many irregular verbs in French that require special attention.

Gender is also a consideration in French subject-verb agreement. In French, the subject can be masculine or feminine, and the verb must agree accordingly. For example, if the subject is a masculine noun, the verb must be conjugated in the masculine form. Likewise, if the subject is feminine, the verb must be in the feminine form.

Another important consideration in French subject-verb agreement is the use of inversion. Inversion is when the subject and verb switch places in a sentence. In this case, the verb must agree with the subject, even if it comes after the verb. For example:

Normal sentence: Le chat miaule. (The cat meows.)

Inverted sentence: Miaule le chat. (Meows the cat.)

In the inverted sentence, the verb must still agree with the subject “le chat,” even though it comes after the verb “miaule.”

There are a few common mistakes to watch out for in French subject-verb agreement. One is when the subject is a collective noun, such as “la famille” (the family), which can be singular or plural depending on the context. In this case, the verb must agree with the noun`s number. For example:

La famille est (singular) heureuse. (The family is happy.)

Les membres de la famille sont (plural) heureux. (The members of the family are happy.)

Another common mistake is to forget to make the verb agree with the subject when the subject is separated from the verb by other words. For example:

Le livre que j`ai acheté sont (incorrect) intéressants. (The book that I bought are interesting.)

Le livre que j`ai acheté est (correct) intéressant. (The book that I bought is interesting.)

In this case, the noun “livre” is the subject, and the verb must agree with it in number and gender, even though there are other words in between.

In conclusion, subject-verb agreement in French is a fundamental aspect of grammar that cannot be overlooked. While there are some irregular verbs and tricky situations to watch out for, mastering this rule will make your French writing and conversation clear and correct.