Subject Verb Agreement Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
Grade 5 – Language
February 2 and 3, 2015 (Tuesday and Wednesday)

I. OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, the Grade 5 students should be able to:
A. identify the form of the subject and verb in the sentence;
B. choose the correct form of the verb to make it agree with the subject
C. construct sentences that follow the subject-verb agreement;
D. familiarize with the rules of subject-verb agreement.

II. SUBJECT MATTER:
A. Topic: Subject-Verb Agreement
B. Materials:
PowerPoint Presentation
C. Reference:
D. Teaching Methods/Strategies/Techniques:
Art of Questioning
Discussion
Recitation

III. PROCEDURE
A. Motivation
The teacher is going to present pictures of a baby and puppies on the left side of the screen. On the right side of the screen, pictures of a bone and a bottle of milk will also be presented. The pictures on the left side (baby and puppies) will be the consumer and the pictures on right side (bone and bottle of milk) will be the consumer’s proper food.
The students are expected to identify the proper food for the puppies which is the bone and baby which is the milk.

B. Lesson Development
DAY 1
The teacher will introduce the lesson by explaining the connection of the previous short activity to the lesson.
Like the need of the baby and the puppies of proper food, language particularly the subject and verb must agree with each other. This is for the purpose of clear and better communication.

The teacher will tell the students that subject and verb must agree in number: both must be singular, or both must be plural. He will present two example sentences, one in singular form and the other in plural form. He will ask the students what they notice from it.

a) The baby drinks the milk.
b) The babies drink the milk.

The teacher will present the general rule of subject-verb agreement.
Singular subject requires singular verb and plural subject requires plural verb.

A singular subject requires any of these forms:
a. the s form of the verb
Ex. Ana drives her own car.
b. any of the verb forms is and was
Ex. She is beautiful.
c. the auxiliary or helping verb has
Ex. The forest has been rehabilitated. A plural subject requires any of these forms:
a. the base form of the verb
Ex. Many families go to church every Sunday.
b. Either of the be verb forms are and were
Ex. The young pupils are led by the seniors. We were at the mall yesterday.

I and you, though singular, take the base form of the verb in the simple present. I is used with the be verbs am and was while you is used with are and were.

After that, the teacher will present the other rules of subject-verb agreement to students and let them construct sentences applying the rules.
Contractions:

The verb only agrees with its subject. Words between subject and verb (phrases and parenthetical expressions) do not affect the number of the subject.
Ex. One of the obstacles of self-reliance is conformity.
Jed, among her classmates, was the one who got the highest score in the exam.

A compound subject joined by and takes a plural verb. When they referred to as one unit, it takes singular verb.
Ex. Conformity and consistency are two obstacles of self-reliance. (separate units) The writer and the lecturer of great renown was a speaker at Harvard. (one unit) DAY 2
Subjects preceded by the distributive adjectives each and every are always singular. Use verb forms that agree with singular subjects.
Ex. Each member of the family plays an important role. Every husband and wife was asked to attend the marriage seminar.
Exception to the rule:
When each of the said nouns is modified by a different modifier, the compound subject is plural.
Ex. Every husband and his wife were asked to attend the marriage seminar.

A subject preceded by the article a or an is always singular. However, a compound subject may have nouns modified by the article a or an. The compound subject then is plural.
Ex. A girl has helped an old woman. A girl and a boy have helped an old woman.

Subjects preceded by no can be singular or plural. Use the verb form that agrees with the subject.
Ex. No pupil is allowed to eat during the class. No pupils are present in the class today.

Subjects preceded by many, most, few, or some are always plural. Use verb forms that agree with the plural subjects.
Ex. Many pupils were studying at the library last week. Some athletes need further training.

If subjects are joined by either... or or neither... nor, the verb should agree with the closer/nearer subject.
Ex. Either the baby or the puppies drink milk. Neither Vicky nor the academic coordinators are improving the syllabus.

A collective noun can either be singular or plural. If it denotes a collection regarded as a unit, it requires a singular verb. When it refers to persons or things included in the collection, it requires a plural verb.
Ex. The band plays well. The band play their instruments enthusiastically.

Indefinite pronouns are always singular. Use verb forms that agree with the singular subjects. everybody everyone everything either anybody anyone anything neither somebody someone something any nobody no one nothing none one Ex. Everybody seems disturbed. Each of the girls has a ring. Some nouns are plural in form but singular in meaning such as economics, gallows, mathematics, measles, civics, mumps, physics, news, etc. and require a singular verb.
Ex. Mathematics is really challenging. Meningitis is a dreadful disease.

There are nouns that are always plural. Some of these are pliers, clothes, goods, scissors, pants, tweezers, shorts, etc. Use verb forms then that agree with plural subjects.
Ex. The proceeds from the school fair are enough for another project.

C. Generalization
The teacher will emphasize the things students have to remember in subject-verb agreement are:
a. to know whether the subject is singular or plural;
b. to recognize whether the verb is singular or plural;
c. If it’s singular, with –s. If it’s plural without s.
d. Always remember that there are words with exception to the rules.

D. Application
The teacher will flash incorrect sentences on the screen which the students need to correct them.
Oral Drill: Choose the correct verb form from the parentheses.
1. The keys to the car (are, is) on the table.
2. January or February (brings, bring) a thaw.
3. Both of the motorists (see, sees) the train.
4. One of your tires (seems, seem) a little soft.
5. He (don’t, doesn’t) want to join the contest.
6. The pages of that book (are, is) stuck together.
7. Milk and cookies (taste, tastes) good after school.
8. The stars and the moon (shine, shines) very clear.
9. The hammer or the axe (is, are) needed for this job.
10. Anyone without papers and books (are, is) not ready.
11. Boys not in proper uniform (sit, sits) behind the coach.
12. Nobody in these houses (has, have) shovelled the sidewalks.

IV. EVALUATION
SEATWORK (On their Language notebooks)
A. Directions: Choose the correct verb form from the parentheses.
1. One of my shoulders (is, are) lame.
2. The brakes on his car (slip, slips) in wet weather.
3. The boy near the holes in the ice (doesn’t, don’t) see them.
4. Tickets for tonight’s game (go, goes) on sale at ten o’clock.
5. Some of the fertilizers (improves, improve) the clover field.
6. The paint brushes on the bench (need, needs) to be cleaned.
7. Physics (is, are) one the hardest subjects in high school.

B. Write C before the number if the sentence is correct. Rephrase the sentence is there is an error in agreement of subject and verb.
1. Bob and his brother Tom hasn’t been out today.
2. Where’s the books you promised me?
3. Amy don’t expect me to school tomorrow.
4. July or August is usually my father’s vacation month.
5. A noise behind the chairs are frightening the cat.
6. Where are the keys and the money?
7. Macaroni and cheese costs seventy five pesos.
8. Few of the audience hear the speaker.

Prepared by:
John Paul S. Barral
January 30, 2015