Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental concept in English grammar that high school students must learn. This concept dictates that a subject and verb must agree in number, meaning that if the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. As a professional, I have compiled some essential subject-verb agreement exercises for high school students to help them master this important grammar rule.
Exercise 1: Identifying Verbs and Subjects
In this exercise, high school students should be able to identify the verbs and subjects in a sentence to help them achieve subject-verb agreement.
Example: The cat (sleeps, sleep) on the mat.
Answer: The subject is «cat,» and the verb is «sleeps,» which makes the sentence grammatically correct.
Exercise 2: Multiple Subjects and Verbs
This exercise focuses on identifying the subjects and verbs in a sentence involving multiple subjects and verbs.
Example: The cat and dog (chases, chase) the ball.
Answer: The subjects are «cat and dog,» and the verb should be «chase,» which makes the sentence grammatically correct.
Exercise 3: Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns such as anyone, everybody, somebody, and nobody are tricky when it comes to subject-verb agreement. In this exercise, high school students should be able to identify the correct verb that agrees with the indefinite pronoun.
Example: Someone (has, have) taken my phone.
Answer: The correct verb is «has,» which agrees with the singular indefinite pronoun «someone.»
Exercise 4: Collective Nouns
In this exercise, students should be able to identify collective nouns, which are singular nouns representing a group of people, animals, or things.
Example: The orchestra (plays, play) beautiful music.
Answer: The correct verb is «plays,» which agrees with the singular collective noun «orchestra.»
Exercise 5: Compound Subjects
Compound subjects are nouns or pronouns joined by «and» or «or.» In this exercise, high school students should be able to identify how the subject-verb agreement works with compound subjects.
Example: The dog and cat (runs, run) around the house.
Answer: The correct verb is «run,» which agrees with the plural compound subject «dog and cat.»
In conclusion, these subject-verb agreement exercises will help high school students master this fundamental grammar concept. By practicing these exercises, students will be able to identify the correct verb that agrees with the subject. Mastering subject-verb agreement is essential for clear and effective communication, which is crucial for academic and professional success.
