Singular Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular Subject Verb Agreement
Singular Subject-Verb Agreement
Play the quick video lesson HERE and click the upper left back arrow to return to this lesson.
Common Core Language Standard 1
Singular subject-verb agreement probably presents more challenges for the writer than plural subject-verb agreement because of collective nouns and indefinite singular pronouns.
Today’s grammar and usage lesson is on singular subject-verb agreement. Remember that a singular subject noun usually adds an ending s to agree with (match) a singular verb. Collective nouns which refer to a group, such as herd, and indefinite pronouns which end in “_body’ or “_one,” such as anybody or everyone also match singular verbs.
Now let’s read the grammar and usage lesson and study the examples.
Some singular subject subject-verb agreements are tricky:
- Subject case pronouns must match these helping verbs: I matches am, was, have, and had; He, she, it, and you match is, was, has, and had. Examples: I am, she is
- When two or more nouns or pronouns are joined by or or nor, use the verb that agrees with (matches) the noun or pronoun closest to the verb. Examples: Joe or Pam eats first; Joe or the children eat first before I do.
- In clauses beginning with there is (are), the subject follows and the is (are) must agree (match) with that subject. Examples: There is a dog; There are dogs.
Now circle or highlight what is right and revise what is wrong according to grammar and usage lesson.
Practice: Peter or Mick doesn’t seem ready. Their success depend on this. There is little time.
Let’s check the Practice Answers.
Grammar and Usage Practice Answers: Peter or Mick don’t seem ready. Their success depends on this. There is little time.
Now let’s apply what we have learned.
Writing Application: Write two of your own sentences: the first one with two or more noun or pronoun subjects joined by or or nor and the second one beginning with “There is.”
This writing opener is part of a comprehensive language conventions lesson from the Grammar, Mechanics, Spelling, and Vocabulary Grades 4‒8 programs.
*****
Pennington Publishing Grammar Programs
Teaching Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics (Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and High School) are full-year, traditional, grade-level grammar, usage, and mechanics programs with plenty of remedial practice to help students catch up while they keep up with grade-level standards. Twice-per-week, 30-minute, no prep lessons in print or interactive Google slides with a fun secret agent theme. Simple sentence diagrams, mentor texts, video lessons, sentence dictations. Plenty of practice in the writing context. Includes biweekly tests and a final exam.
Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Interactive Notebook (Grades 4‒8) is a full-year, no prep interactive notebook without all the mess. Twice-per-week, 30-minute, no prep grammar, usage, and mechanics lessons, formatted in Cornell Notes with cartoon response, writing application, 3D graphic organizers (easy cut and paste foldables), and great resource links. No need to create a teacher INB for student make-up work—it’s done for you! Plus, get remedial worksheets, biweekly tests, and a final exam.
Syntax in Reading and Writing is a function-based, sentence level syntax program, designed to build reading comprehension and increase writing sophistication. The 18 parts of speech, phrases, and clauses lessons are each leveled from basic (elementary) to advanced (middle and high school) and feature 5 lesson components (10–15 minutes each): 1. Learn It! 2. Identify It! 3. Explain It! (analysis of challenging sentences) 4. Revise It! (kernel sentences, sentence expansion, syntactic manipulation) 5. Create It! (Short writing application with the syntactic focus in different genre).
Get the Diagnostic Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Assessments, Matrix, and Final Exam FREE Resource:
