Courseversity

Subject–verb agreement

Primary EducationGrade 3English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G03-ELA-U06-L0345–60 min

You will learn

  • Find the subject.
  • Choose the correct verb form.
  • Agree with singular and plural subjects.
  • Agree with compound subjects.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. The subject is who or what does the action.
  2. Singular: The dog barks.
  3. Plural: The dogs bark.
  4. Ama and Kofi play (plural).

Words to know

subject
who or what a sentence is about
singular
one
agreement
when subject and verb match
compound subject
two or more subjects joined by and

1. Discover: The noisy market

The seller shouts. The sellers shout. A child laughs. The children laugh. Ama and Kofi walk past. My mother buys fish, and my brothers carry the basket.

Think: Why does one verb end with s and another not?

2. Understand: Matching subject and verb

Idea 1: Singular and plural

A singular subject (one) takes a verb with s: The seller shouts. A plural subject takes no s: The sellers shout.

Idea 2: Compound subjects

A compound subject joined by and is plural: Ama and Kofi walk.

Idea 3: Check agreement

Find the subject, decide one or more than one, and make the verb match. This is agreement.

Remember: The verb must match the subject: one subject with s, many subjects without s.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Singular

Choose: The dog (bark/barks).

  1. One dog.

Answer: barks

Example 2 (We do it together): Plural

Choose: The dogs (bark/barks).

  1. More than one.

Answer: bark

Example 3 (You try): Compound

Choose: Ama and Kofi (walk/walks).

Show the steps and answer
  1. Two subjects.

Answer: walk

Did you know?

The verbs be, have and do follow special agreement forms such as is/are, has/have, does/do.

Why this matters

Agreement makes sentences sound right and clear.

4. Explore: Match it

Fix sentences.

  1. Write five sentences.
  2. Underline the subject.
  3. Choose the verb.
  4. Check agreement.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can check agreement.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The subject is ___.
  • It is singular/plural.
  • So the verb is ___.
  • Ama and Kofi ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Who or what the sentence is about is the ___.

subject

Question 2. One is ___.

singular

Question 3. When subject and verb match it is ___.

agreement

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Who or what the sentence is about is the ___.
  2. One is ___.
  3. When subject and verb match it is ___.
  4. Two subjects joined by and are a ___ subject.
  5. The seller ___ (shout/shouts).

Level 2: Grow

  1. The children (laugh/laughs).
  2. My mother (buy/buys) fish.
  3. Ama and Kofi (walk/walks).

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Does a singular subject take s?
  2. Is Ama and Kofi plural?
  3. Should the verb match?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write six sentences with correct agreement.

Show a sample answer

six sentences

Another one. Write eight sentences with correct subject–verb agreement.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can find the subject.
  • I can choose the correct verb form.
  • I can agree with singular and plural subjects.
  • I can agree with compound subjects.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. The subject is who or what the sentence is ___.

2. A singular subject takes a verb ending in ___.

3. The seller ___ loudly.

4. The sellers ___ loudly.

5. A child ___ at the joke.

6. The children ___ at the joke.

7. Ama and Kofi ___ to school.

8. My mother ___ fish.

9. My brothers ___ the basket.

10. She ___ a story.

11. They ___ a story.

12. Which sentence has agreement?

Challenge 1. Which is correct?

Challenge 2. Which is correct?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • The subject is who or what does the action.
  • Singular: The dog barks.
  • Plural: The dogs bark.
  • Ama and Kofi play (plural).

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Adjectives and adverbs. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a subject? [1 mark]
  2. Choose the correct verb: The cat (sit/sits) on the mat. [1 mark]
  3. Choose the correct verb: The cats (sit/sits) on the mat. [1 mark]
  4. Choose: Ama and Kofi (play/plays). [1 mark]
  5. Explain subject–verb agreement. [3 marks]

Total: 7 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. who or what the sentence is about [1]
  2. sits [1]
  3. sit [1]
  4. play [1]
  5. find the subject [1]; decide singular or plural [1]; match the verb [1]

Score guide: 6 to 7 = secure. 5 to 5 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Who or what the sentence is about is the ___.
  2. One is ___.
  3. When subject and verb match it is ___.
  4. Two subjects joined by and are a ___ subject.
  5. The seller ___ (shout/shouts).
  6. The children (laugh/laughs).
  7. My mother (buy/buys) fish.
  8. Ama and Kofi (walk/walks).
  9. Does a singular subject take s?
  10. Is Ama and Kofi plural?

Homework

Write eight sentences with correct subject–verb agreement.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Who or what the sentence is about is the ___. subject 1
2. One is ___. singular 1
3. When subject and verb match it is ___. agreement 1
4. Two subjects joined by and are a ___ subject. compound 1
5. The seller ___ (shout/shouts). shouts 1
6. The children (laugh/laughs). laugh 1
7. My mother (buy/buys) fish. buys 1
8. Ama and Kofi (walk/walks). walk 1
9. Does a singular subject take s? yes 1
10. Is Ama and Kofi plural? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 subject; 2 singular; 3 agreement; 4 compound; 5 shouts. Level 2: 1 laugh; 2 buys; 3 walk. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Find the subject Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Choose the correct verb form Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Agree with singular and plural subjects Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Agree with compound subjects Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: find the subject; choose the correct verb form; agree with singular and plural subjects; agree with compound subjects.

Prerequisite knowledge. Verbs and tense.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 7-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 3 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.3.1f (ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement); Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (grammar). These sources informed the lesson.

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