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PSPKK12313 Comments

Subject-verb agreement game

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Those pesky subject-verb agreement rules can trip us up! Use these games to help kids master them.

Are you a grammar nerd?

I was one of those weird kids who actually liked diagramming sentences in high school.

But even for a grammar nerd like me, subject-verb agreement rules can be tricky.

So I decided to create a set of games to reinforce them.

To set up the game, you need the following:

  • Game board (print in color or black and white)
  • Answer key
  • Recording sheets and pencils
  • Game cards, cut apart
  • Die and playing pieces

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I used the Level 1 game with my first and third grader.

They took turns reading the playing cards and marking the answer on their recording sheet.

After one player wrote his answer, the other checked it on the answer key (which we kept face down when we weren’t using it).

Then the first player marked whether his answer had been correct or incorrect. We played until we ran out of cards. Then they took turns rolling the die to see who got to END first.

While they can’t articulate even the simplest subject verb agreement rules yet, my first and third grader were able to read each sentence and tell whether or not it was correct just by the sound of it.

The download also includes a harder version – more appropriate for older learners. I used the level 2 game with my fourth and sixth grader.

Because the question cards were a bit trickier, I often stopped to explain a rule of subject-verb agreement to my fourth grader. (His older sister has been learning them in school and has them down.) In the above example, I told him that we have to look at the word before a phrase that starts with of when determining what verb to use.

While I didn’t have it ready at the time, I’ve included a printable list of subject-verb agreement rules in the download that you can give to your students as a reference.

Subject-Verb Agreement Rules

A singular subject takes a singular verb.

My cat likes tuna fish.

A plural subject takes a plural verb.

Our dogs run in the park.

A subject comes before a phrase beginning with of.

The bouquet of roses is on the desk.

Two singular subjects, connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Either my mom or my dad is coming to my game tonight.

When one subject is singular and one is plural in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence, the verb agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Neither my dad nor my  brothers like to watch baseball.

In most cases, use a plural verb after two or more subjects connected with and.

The meat, potatoes, and vegetables are on the table.

Ignore both phrases that follow the subject and words in parentheses when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb. Always use a singular verb with a singular subject, and a plural verb with a plural subject.

My principal, along with all the teachers, wishes that tomorrow would be a snow day.

The turkey (and all the side dishes) is ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, etc. when considered as a unit.

Thirty-five hours is a long time to be in labor.

Five dollars a week is what I get for allowance.

If a word indicates portions (a lot, a majority, some, etc.) use the noun after the word of to determine whether you need a singular or plural verb.

Some of the pie is missing.

Some of the pies are missing.

A collective noun may be considered singular or plural, depending on the context. Consider whether the noun is being used to represent a group or the individuals within that group.

The army is going to attack tomorrow.

The army are fighting among themselves.

One of the most common errors both kids and adults make with subject-verb agreement has to do with prepositional phrases that follow the subject. In the above example, we use the word girl (and not the word roses) to determine what verb to use.

Remember – I’ve included a copy of the rules inside the download. Use it a reference for your students (or for you ?- I won’t tell).

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Free Spelling Games

Get this fun variety of sample spelling games from the membership site! The download includes resources for spelling CVCE words, long vowel teams, and multi-syllable words.

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Filed Under: Grammar Tagged With: second grade, third grade

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Reader Interactions

13 Comments

  1. Thomas Yates

    March 23, 2020 at 4:04 am

    These are great – Thanks a lot!

    Reply to this comment
  2. Dan

    January 30, 2020 at 11:39 am

    Great, thank you!

    Reply to this comment
  3. Anna

    January 8, 2019 at 2:27 pm

    test 4

    Reply to this comment
  4. Glenda

    January 7, 2019 at 3:37 pm

    You have provided home schoolers and Family and Consumer Science (FACS) educators with valuable resources to be used in their classrooms. FACS teachers teach an array of content, one of which is a child development course, your resources have been invaluable. Thank you!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      January 9, 2019 at 6:30 am

      I’m so glad to hear you can use my resources, Glenda! 🙂

      Reply to this comment
  5. Olugbenga Adebiyi

    January 7, 2019 at 1:37 pm

    The game is very amazing. It is a pack of innovation. Kudos!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      January 9, 2019 at 6:30 am

      Thanks, Olubenga!

      Reply to this comment
    • Angela quinto

      September 10, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      I will use this game for my students.thank u ma’am for sharing

      Reply to this comment
  6. Mayette Kim

    January 6, 2019 at 5:06 pm

    Thank you so much Teacher Ana for sharing this amazing activities for children. You’re an amazing teacher. God bless you! ?❤

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      January 9, 2019 at 6:30 am

      Thank you for your kinds words, Mayette!

      Reply to this comment
  7. Carol

    January 6, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    Both of these freebies are perfect for students I work with in my special education classroom! Thank you!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      January 9, 2019 at 6:30 am

      You’re welcome, Carol!

      Reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. Cycle 2 Week 16 FREE Resources | Homeschooling Women of God says:
    September 25, 2019 at 9:36 am

    […] Subject-Verb Agreement Printable Game […]

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