Subject-verb agreement is an important grammar concept that students learn in Grade 4. It is the agreement between the subject and the verb in a sentence, meaning that they must agree in number (singular or plural). This is a crucial concept that students must understand and practice regularly to become proficient in writing and speaking English. In this article, we will explore some subject-verb agreement exercises for Grade 4 students.
Exercise 1: Identifying the Subject
The first step in understanding subject-verb agreement is to identify the subject in a sentence. The subject is the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about. Here’s an example:
The girls (play/plays) outside.
In the sentence above, the subject is ”the girls.” The verb ”play” must agree with the subject in number. The correct verb is ”play,” making the correct sentence ”The girls play outside.”
Exercise 2: Agreement with Singular and Plural Nouns
One of the most common subject-verb agreement errors is when the subject and verb do not agree in number. For instance:
The cat (chase/chases) the mouse.
In this sentence, the subject is ”cat,” which is singular, and the verb is ”chase,” which is plural. The correct verb should be ”chases,” making the correct sentence ”The cat chases the mouse.”
Exercise 3: Agreement with Compound Subjects
Compound subjects are two or more subjects joined by conjunctions such as ”and” or ”or.” Here’s an example:
Tom and Jerry (is/are) good friends.
In the sentence above, the subject is ”Tom and Jerry,” which is plural. Therefore, the correct verb should be ”are,” making the correct sentence ”Tom and Jerry are good friends.”
Exercise 4: Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns are pronouns that do not refer to specific people or things. Some examples of indefinite pronouns are ”everyone,” ”someone,” and ”nobody.” Here’s an example:
Everybody (enjoys/enjoy) playing games.
In this sentence, the subject is ”everybody,” which is singular. Therefore, the correct verb should be ”enjoys,” making the correct sentence ”Everybody enjoys playing games.”
Exercise 5: Agreement with Verb Tenses
Another aspect of subject-verb agreement is the agreement of the verb tense with the subject. The verb tense shows the time of the action in the sentence. Here’s an example:
The boy (swim/swims) in the pool every day.
In this sentence, the action is in the present tense. The subject ”the boy” is singular, so the correct verb should be ”swims,” making the correct sentence ”The boy swims in the pool every day.”
Final Thoughts
Subject-verb agreement is a crucial concept that Grade 4 students must understand and practice regularly. These exercises are just a few examples of the exercises that can help students master this concept. By providing them with ample practice, students will be able to write and speak English more effectively and efficiently. As a copy editor, it is important to ensure that all written content follows proper subject-verb agreement to improve its readability and professionalism.