Subject-verb agreement and verb tenses

Grade 6 · English

Semester 1 | Period 2 | Week 7

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Subject: English

Semester: 1

Period: 2

Week: 7

School Name:
Teacher’s Name:
Subject: English Language
Grade Level: Grade 6
Date: Week 7
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 7, Period 2
Topic: Subject–Verb Agreement and Verb Tenses
Sub-topic: Rules and Application of Subject–Verb Agreement
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Define subject–verb agreement and explain its importance
Apply rules of subject–verb agreement in sentences
Identify and correct errors in subject–verb agreement
Use present, past, and future verb tenses correctly in sentences

Previous Knowledge
Students already know basic sentence structure (subject + predicate) and common verbs

Instructional Materials
English Language textbook for Grade 6, charts of subject–verb rules, flashcards, whiteboard, markers

Lesson Development – ABC Model
A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Ask learners to read simple sentences aloud and identify the verb. Discuss whether the verb matches the subject in number.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

📚 Teacher Explanation and Modeling (10 minutes)

🔹 Definition and Rule Overview

Subject–Verb Agreement means that the verb must agree in number (singular or plural) with the subject of the sentence.

  • ✅ Singular subject → singular verb
    🔹 Example: He walks to school every day.
  • ✅ Plural subject → plural verb
    🔹 Example: They walk to school every day.

❗ The verb form changes depending on whether the subject is singular or plural—especially in present tense.

 

🔹 Verb Tenses Overview

  1. Present Tense – shows action happening now
    🔹 I walk, he walks
  2. Past Tense – shows action that already happened
    🔹 I walked, they walked
  3. Future Tense – shows action that will happen
    🔹 I will walk, they will walk

 

🔹 Common Agreement Examples

Subject

Correct Verb

Incorrect Verb

She

is reading

are reading

They

are studying

is studying

The dog

barks loudly

bark loudly

My friends

go to school

goes to school

Everyone

wants a turn

want a turn

🔹 Special Cases and Tricky Subjects

Rule

Example

Indefinite pronouns like everyone, someone, each, anyone take singular verbs

Everyone loves ice cream.

Collective nouns (e.g., team, class, group) are singular if the group is acting as one unit

The team wins every game.

Compound subjects joined by and take plural verbs

John and Mike are playing.

Compound subjects joined by or/nor – verb agrees with the closest subject

Neither the teacher nor the students are late. / Neither the students nor the teacher is late.

 

🔹 Teacher Modeling

Display and correct the following:

Incorrect:

  • She walk to school every day.
  • The class are taking a test.
  • Everyone want candy.
  • My friend and I is playing.

Corrected:

  • She walks to school every day.
  • The class is taking a test.
  • Everyone wants candy.
  • My friend and I are playing.

 

👥 Learners’ Activities (Expanded – 15 Minutes)

🔸 Activity 1: Error Hunt (Pairs or Small Groups – 5 minutes)

  • Provide a worksheet or write on the board 10–12 sentences with subject–verb agreement errors.
  • Learners identify the subject and verb, underline the errors, and rewrite the sentence correctly.

Sample Incorrect Sentences:

  1. They walks to the market.
  2. Each of the boys want a prize.
  3. My teacher and principal is talking.
  4. The team are winning the game.
  5. I walks home every day.

Expected Corrections:

  1. They walk to the market.
  2. Each of the boys wants a prize.
  3. My teacher and principal are talking.
  4. The team is winning the game.
  5. I walk home every day.

 

🔸 Activity 2: Sentence Transformation (5 minutes)

  • Give learners a list of singular sentences.
  • Ask them to change the subject to plural, and adjust the verb accordingly.

Example:

  • Singular: The boy runs fast.
  • Plural: The boys run fast.

Another Example:

  • Singular: She goes to church.
  • Plural: They go to church.

 

🔸 Activity 3: Paragraph Writing with Agreement (5–7 minutes)

  • Learners write a short paragraph (4–5 sentences) using:
    • At least one singular subject
    • At least one plural subject
    • Correct verb tenses (past, present, future)
    • At least one irregular verb (e.g., go → went, eat → ate)

Topic Ideas:

  • A day at school
  • What I did last weekend
  • My future dream job

 

🔸 Activity 4: Peer Review (Optional if time allows)

  • Learners exchange paragraphs with a partner.
  • Use a checklist:
    • ✔ Subject–verb agreement correct?
    • ✔ Tense consistent?
    • ✔ Irregular verbs used correctly?
    • ✔ Any unclear sentence?

 

✅ Assessment Checks

🔍 Observation-Based

  • Monitor learners as they:
    • Identify errors
    • Correct and rewrite sentences
    • Read aloud their paragraphs or corrected sentences

 

📋 Product-Based

  • Collect paragraphs or sentences to assess:
    • Accuracy of subject–verb agreement
    • Proper verb tense use
    • Understanding of singular/plural subjects
    • Use of irregular verb forms

 

💬 Oral Assessment Prompts

Ask learners:

  • “What’s the difference between ‘He walks’ and ‘They walk’?”
  • “Can you give an example of a past tense sentence with the verb ‘go’?”
  • “Why do we say ‘Everyone wants’ and not ‘Everyone want’?”

 

📝 Notes (Expanded & Detailed)

🔹 Key Takeaways

  • Subject–verb agreement is essential for grammatical accuracy.
  • Learners must always identify the true subject before choosing the verb.
  • Tense consistency matters – switching between past and present in the same sentence causes confusion.
  • Some irregular verbs do not follow the “add -ed” rule and must be memorized.

 

🔹 Common Pitfalls

  • Misidentifying the subject (especially with prepositional phrases):
    🔹 The group of boys is playing (not "are")
  • Ignoring indefinite pronouns:
    🔹 Each of the players was ready (not "were")
  • Using plural verbs with singular collective nouns:
    🔹 The family is going out (not "are")

 

🔹 Extension / Homework (Optional)

  • Write a short story (6–8 sentences) using a mix of verb tenses and proper agreement.
  • Identify 5 irregular verbs and write sentences in present, past, and future tenses for each.

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Summary: Learners understand subject–verb agreement rules, apply them in different tenses, and correct errors in sentences

Evaluation Method (Expanded):
Exit slip/quiz: Write five sentences using correct subject–verb agreement in different tenses
Teacher will collect slips and provide oral feedback

Assignment (Expanded):
Write a short paragraph about your daily routine using correct subject–verb agreement and verb tenses

Follow-up Activity:
Class share of paragraphs and peer feedback

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies
Provide sentence starters, model examples on board, allow oral explanation for learners struggling with writing

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