Jealous agreement is a term that is used to describe a grammatical rule that is often overlooked but is important nonetheless. In essence, it refers to the agreement between different parts of a sentence in terms of number and person. This means that there has to be a consistency between the subject and the verb, the pronoun and its antecedent, and so on.

The term “jealous agreement” comes from the idea that each part of the sentence is “jealous” of its own integrity and wants to maintain its own number and person. This means that if there is any inconsistency in the sentence, it will cause confusion and disrupt the flow of the sentence.

To illustrate this concept, consider the following examples:

Incorrect: The team were playing well, but they wasn’t able to win.

Correct: The team was playing well, but they weren’t able to win.

In the first example, there is inconsistency between the subject “team” and the verb “wasn’t,” which is in the singular form. The correct sentence maintains the agreement between the two by using the plural form “weren’t.”

Similarly, consider the following example:

Incorrect: Everyone should wear their own uniform.

Correct: Everyone should wear his or her own uniform.

In the first example, there is inconsistency between the singular pronoun “everyone” and the plural possessive pronoun “their.” The correct sentence maintains the agreement by using the singular “his or her.”

Jealous agreement is important for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that the sentence is grammatically correct and easy to understand. Inconsistent sentences can be confusing and cause the reader to lose interest or misinterpret the information. Secondly, it demonstrates a level of attention to detail and professionalism in written communication, which can be important in business and academic contexts.

As a copy editor, it is essential to be aware of jealous agreement and to ensure that all written communication adheres to this rule. This can be achieved by carefully reviewing each sentence for consistency and making corrections where necessary. By doing so, copy editors can help to improve the clarity and effectiveness of written communication.