Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental aspect of English grammar that can often be challenging for Class 6 students. It refers to the idea that the verb in a sentence must agree with the subject in terms of both number and person. For example, if the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural. To help your students master subject-verb agreement, exercises are an excellent tool. Here are some exercises that you can use in your classroom.
Exercise 1: Identifying the Subject and the Verb
This exercise can be used as a warm-up activity to help your students identify the subject and the verb in a sentence. Write ten simple sentences on the board and ask your students to underline the subject and circle the verb. For example:
1. The cat sat on the mat.
2. The birds sing in the morning.
3. The boy runs in the park.
4. My sister loves to dance.
5. The teacher explains the lesson.
6. The students listen attentively.
7. The flowers bloom in the spring.
8. The dog barks at the mailman.
9. The man reads the newspaper.
10. The girl jumps rope.
Exercise 2: Choosing the Correct Verb
In this exercise, you can give your students a list of verbs and ask them to choose the correct verb to match the subject. For example:
1. The dog __________ (barks/bark) at the cat.
2. The boy and his friends __________ (play/plays) soccer.
3. John __________ (is/are) my best friend.
4. The flowers __________ (bloom/blooms) in the spring.
5. My mother __________ (cooks/cook) dinner every night.
6. The students __________ (study/studies) hard for their exams.
7. The birds __________ (sing/sings) in the morning.
8. The cat and the dog __________ (is/are) sleeping.
9. Mary and her sister __________ (is/are) going to the park.
10. The teacher __________ (teach/teaches) the lesson well.
Exercise 3: Editing Sentences for Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
In this exercise, you can give your students some sentences with errors in subject-verb agreement and ask them to correct the errors. For example:
1. The cats chase the mouse around the house. (Error: The verb should be singular because “mouse” is singular. Correction: The cat chases the mouse around the house.)
2. The boy and his sister loves to play together. (Error: The verb should be plural because “boy and his sister” is plural. Correction: The boy and his sister love to play together.)
3. The dog barks at the mailman when they comes to the house. (Error: The verb should be singular because “mailman” is singular. Correction: The dog barks at the mailman when he comes to the house.)
4. The flowers in the garden blooms beautifully. (Error: The verb should be singular because “flowers” is singular. Correction: The flower in the garden blooms beautifully.)
5. The students in the class listen attentively when the teacher explain the lesson. (Error: The verb should be singular in the first clause and plural in the second clause. Correction: The students in the class listen attentively when the teacher explains the lesson.)
By practicing these exercises regularly, your students can improve their subject-verb agreement skills and become more confident in their writing and communication abilities.