The Core Idea
Agreement ties words together inside the sentence. In more monitored writing, nominal and verbal agreement becomes a central norm.
Agreement is one of the first things careful readers notice. If the sentence is structurally sound but agreement is weak, the whole text looks less controlled.
Structure Snapshot
- agreement inside noun phrase / subject-verb agreement
Main Rules at a Glance
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| Rule 1 | Inside the noun phrase, articles, numerals, adjectives, and some quantifiers agree with the noun. |
| Rule 2 | The finite verb agrees with the grammatical subject. |
| Rule 3 | Collective and partitive expressions can attract singular or plural depending on the construction and focus: "a maioria das pessoas chegou/chegaram". |
| Rule 4 | Some fixed expressions are especially important in monitored writing: "é proibido/proibida", "obrigado/obrigada". |
How It Works
- Inside the noun phrase, articles, numerals, adjectives, and some quantifiers agree with the noun.
- The finite verb agrees with the grammatical subject.
- Collective and partitive expressions can attract singular or plural depending on the construction and focus: "a maioria das pessoas chegou/chegaram".
- Some fixed expressions are especially important in monitored writing: "é proibido/proibida", "obrigado/obrigada".
Usage and Register
- Spoken usage sometimes relaxes agreement, but formal writing usually keeps it.
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