Agreement is an essential aspect of journalism that ensures clarity and accuracy in reporting. In simple terms, agreement in journalism refers to the proper matching of grammatical subjects and verbs in a sentence. It involves ensuring that the verb agrees with the subject in number, person, and tense. Poor agreement in journalism can lead to a loss of credibility and misinterpretation of information by readers.
When writing news stories, reporters must make sure that their sentences are grammatically sound and adhere to the rules of agreement. This means that the subject and verb in a sentence must agree in number. For instance, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular. Conversely, if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
Journalists must also ensure that the subject and verb agree in person. This means that if the subject is in the third person, the verb must also be in the third person. On the other hand, if the subject is in the first or second person, the verb should match accordingly. This is important because it helps to maintain the tone and context of the sentence.
Tense agreement is another significant aspect of journalism. It involves ensuring that the verb tense matches the time frame being reported. For example, if the news story is reporting an event that occurred in the past, the verb tense should be past. Similarly, if the story is discussing a current event, the verb tense should be present.
Failing to adhere to the rules of agreement in journalism can lead to confusion and misinterpretation by readers. For example, a sentence that reads, “The group of voters was divided on their opinions,” creates an agreement error because the subject is singular, while the pronoun `their` is plural. A better way to write the sentence would be, “The group of voters was divided on its opinions.”
In conclusion, agreement in journalism is an essential aspect of writing that cannot be ignored. It is crucial to ensure that the subject and verb in a sentence are correctly matched in number, person, and tense to convey accurate information to the readers. Poor agreement can lead to loss of credibility and confusion among readers, which can have detrimental effects on the reputation of a media outlet.
