Closed agreement, also known as restrictive agreement or formal agreement, is a linguistic phenomenon that occurs when an adjective or a verb agrees in gender, number, or person with its closest noun or pronoun, even if it is not the head noun. In simple terms, closed agreement implies that the modifying word must match the noun or pronoun it refers to, rather than the main subject or object of the sentence.
For instance, consider the following sentence: ”The group of students are studying hard.” In this sentence, the subject is ”group,” which is a singular noun. However, the verb ”are” is plural, mistakenly agreeing with ”students,” the closest noun. The correct version would be: ”The group of students is studying hard,” where the verb ”is” agrees with the singular noun ”group.”
Closed agreement is a common feature in many languages, especially those with inflectional morphology, such as Latin, Russian, and Hebrew. It is a fundamental principle in formal writing and is essential for maintaining grammatical accuracy and clarity.
There are several types of closed agreement, including:
1. Gender agreement: This occurs when the gender of the adjective or verb matches the gender of the noun or pronoun it refers to. For example, ”la casa blanca” (the white house) in Spanish, where ”blanca” agrees in gender with ”casa,” which is feminine.
2. Number agreement: This occurs when the number of the adjective or verb matches the number of the noun or pronoun it modifies. For example, ”the two boys are playing” in English, where ”are” agrees in number with ”boys,” which is plural.
3. Person agreement: This occurs when the person of the adjective or verb matches the person of the noun or pronoun it refers to. For example, ”I am happy” in English, where ”am” agrees in person with the first-person singular pronoun ”I.”
In conclusion, closed agreement is a critical aspect of grammar that helps to enhance clarity and accuracy in writing. Understanding the different types of closed agreement is essential for writers who want to create strong, effective, and grammatically correct sentences. As a professional, it is important to ensure that closed agreement is applied correctly to improve the readability and effectiveness of website content and other written materials.