Subject Verb Agreement It is important to understand  subject verb agreement  for IELTS. If you are making errors with this in your writing or speaking, it will be very noticeable as it is a very basic error. For example, take a look at this paragraph which has  errors  with subject verb agreement: Some people argue that leaving people in prison for a long time  mean  that they will mix with other criminals and so their character will not improve. The alternative  are  community service. This gives an offender the opportunity to give something positive back to society, and so it may  improves  their character. Also, the government could focus its resources on the causes of crime, which would  leads  to less crime in the future. The Basic Rules These are the basic rules of subject verb agreement: 1) For a  singular third person  (he / she / it) in the present tense, the verb must have an  -s  ending: Singular...