When it comes to academic writing, one of the most common issues that arises is subject-verb agreement. This becomes even more complex when you introduce the use of “et al.” in your writing. “Et al.” is a Latin phrase that is used to shorten the names of multiple authors in a citation. While it may seem like a minor detail, ensuring that the subject-verb agreement is correct is crucial for maintaining clear and concise writing that is easy for readers to understand.
To understand why this is important, let`s first review what subject-verb agreement is. In simple terms, it refers to the fact that the subject of a sentence (the person, place, or thing that is being talked about) needs to agree with the verb (the action being taken). For example, “The cat runs” is correct, while “The cat run” is not. This seems straightforward enough, but when it comes to using “et al.” in your writing, it adds a layer of complexity.
When you use “et al.” in a citation, it means that there are multiple authors involved, but you are only listing one (or a few) of them. In this case, it is important to ensure that the subject and verb agree with the remaining authors that are unmentioned. For example, consider the sentence:
“Smith et al. argue that the results of their study suggest a need for further research in this area.”
In this sentence, “Smith et al.” is the subject, and “argue” is the verb. While it may seem like a small detail, it is important to ensure that the verb agrees with all of the authors that are listed in the citation, not just the ones that are mentioned specifically. In this case, it would be correct to say “Smith et al. argue” because “argue” is plural and agrees with the multiple authors involved.
Another example of proper subject-verb agreement with “et al.” would be:
“Jones et al. have published several articles on this topic.”
In this case, “Jones et al.” is the subject, and “have published” is the verb. Again, because there are multiple authors involved, it is important to ensure that the verb agrees with all of them, not just the ones that are listed.
On the other hand, incorrect subject-verb agreement with “et al.” might look like this:
“Johnson et al. argues that their findings are significant.”
In this sentence, “Johnson et al.” is the subject, but “argues” is the verb. This is incorrect because “argues” is singular, and there are multiple authors involved. Instead, it should read “Johnson et al. argue that their findings are significant.”
In conclusion, as a professional, it is important to pay close attention to subject-verb agreement when using “et al.” in academic writing. By ensuring that the verb agrees with all of the authors involved, not just the ones that are mentioned specifically, you can create clear, concise, and accurate writing that will be easy for readers to understand.
