Grammar Focus

Grade 4 · English

Semester 1 | Period 3 | Week 17

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Subject: English

Semester: 1

Period: 3

Week: 17


School Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Subject: English Language
Grade Level: Grade 4
Date: Week 17
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 17, Period 3
Topic: Grammar Focus
Sub-topic: Subject-Verb and Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

  1. Explain what subject-verb agreement means.
  2. Identify correct subject-verb pairs in sentences.
  3. Explain pronoun-antecedent agreement.
  4. Correct errors in sentences involving these agreements.

Previous Knowledge
Students have written short stories and sentences.

Instructional Materials
English Language textbook for Grade 4, sentence strips, flashcards, and charts.

Lesson Development – ABC Model
A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Teacher writes two sentences on the board: “The boy run fast.” “The boy runs fast.” Students choose which is correct and explain why.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)
Time: 25–30 minutes

👦🏽👧🏼 Learners’ Activities (Expanded)

  1. Teacher Explanation and Examples
  • The teacher explains the concept of subject-verb agreement, emphasizing that the verb must agree with the subject in number (singular/plural) and person (first, second, third).
  • The teacher presents clear examples on the board:
    • Singular subject → singular verb: “She runs fast.”
    • Plural subject → plural verb: “They run fast.”
  • Explanation of collective nouns taking singular verbs (e.g., “The team wins the game.”)
  • Introduction to indefinite pronouns (everyone, someone, nobody) which take singular verbs: “Everyone likes apples.”
  • Next, the teacher explains pronoun-antecedent agreement, highlighting that pronouns must match the nouns (antecedents) they replace in number and gender.
  • Examples:
    • “John lost his book.” (His refers to John, singular male)
    • “The girls finished their homework.” (Their refers to girls, plural female)
  1. Identifying and Correcting Errors
  • Students are given sentences with mistakes in subject-verb or pronoun-antecedent agreement to correct.
  • Example sentences:
    • “They runs every morning.” → Correct to “They run every morning.”
    • “Everyone have finished their work.” → Correct to “Everyone has finished his or her work.”
    • “The dog wag their tail.” → Correct to “The dog wags its tail.”
  • Students discuss their corrections in pairs or small groups.
  1. Composing Short Paragraphs
  • Students write brief paragraphs (3-5 sentences) on familiar topics such as “My Family” or “A Day at School.”
  • They focus on using correct subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
  • Volunteers can read their paragraphs aloud to the class for peer and teacher feedback.

 

✅ Assessment Checks

Teacher asks orally or in writing:

  • “What is a subject in a sentence?”
  • “What is a verb?”
  • “What must agree in a sentence for it to be correct?”
  • “Correct this sentence: ‘The boys runs fast.’”
  • “In the sentence ‘Lisa forgot her book,’ who does ‘her’ refer to?”
  • “Why is this sentence incorrect: ‘Everyone forgot their notebook’?”

 

📘 Notes (Expanded & Detailed)

Subject-Verb Agreement

  • Definition: The subject (the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about) and the verb (the action or state of being) must agree in number and person.
  • Rules:
  1. Singular subject → singular verb
    • Example: She runs fast.
  2. Plural subject → plural verb
    • Example: They run fast.
  3. Collective nouns (team, family, group, class) generally take singular verbs because they are treated as one unit.
    • Example: The team wins the game.
  4. Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, someone, nobody, each take singular verbs, even though they might refer to many people.
    • Example: Everyone likes apples. (Not "like")

 

Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

  • Definition: A pronoun replaces a noun (the antecedent) and must agree with it in number (singular/plural) and gender (male, female, neutral).
  • Examples:
    • John lost his book. (his refers to John – singular, male)
    • The girls finished their homework. (their refers to girls – plural)
    • The dog wagged its tail. (its refers to dog – singular, neutral)
  • Common Errors:
    • Using a plural pronoun for a singular antecedent: “Everyone forgot their notebook.” (should be “his or her”)
    • Using “they” to refer to a singular noun incorrectly without context.

 

✍️ Practice Exercises

  1. Correct the following sentences:
    • The cat are sleeping.
    • Each student have a book.
    • My friends and I is going to the park.
    • Somebody left their jacket here.
  2. Write three sentences with singular subjects and verbs.
  3. Write three sentences with plural subjects and verbs.
  4. Write sentences using pronouns correctly referring back to their antecedents.

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Summary:
Students restate the grammar rules and explain why agreement is important for clarity.

Evaluation Method (Expanded):
Exit slip/quiz: Correct this sentence – “Mary and Jane plays football.”
Teacher will collect slips and provide oral feedback.

Assignment (Expanded):
Write five sentences showing correct subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Follow-up Activity:
Next class will be an assessment covering all topics from Weeks 13–17.

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies
Pair weaker students with stronger ones for editing practice. Provide visual grammar charts and group activities for engagement.

Teacher’s Reflection (After Class)
What worked well? ___________________________________________
What needs improvement? ____________________________________
Students’ engagement level: ☑ High ☑ Medium ☑ Low