Easy TwinSubject-verb agreement: how to help your child get it right
Subject-verb agreement means the verb matches its subject: one dog runs, two dogs run. Kids usually practice it in 2nd and 3rd grade with simple subjects and is/are, then in 4th grade with trickier sentences where other words sit between the subject and the verb.
What is subject-verb agreement?
The subject is who or what the sentence is about; the verb is the action or being word. They have to match in number: a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
What confuses kids is the letter s. In the present tense, a plural noun usually ends in -s ("The birds sing"), but a singular verb usually ends in -s ("The bird sings"). The s seems to jump from one word to the other, and that's exactly what kids need to notice.
In most US schools, 2nd graders choose between is and are or was and were in simple sentences, 3rd graders are expected to make subjects and verbs agree in their own writing, and 4th graders handle longer sentences with phrases in the middle. See the grammar topic guide for the other grammar skills kids practice by grade.
What are the subject-verb agreement rules?
These six rules cover nearly every elementary worksheet:
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| One subject (he, she, it or one noun): most verbs add -s or -es | The bird sings. She watches. |
| More than one, or I, you, we, they: no -s on the verb | The birds sing. I watch. They watch. |
| is / was with one, are / were with more than one | The cat is sleepy. The cats are sleepy. |
| has with one, have with more than one (and with I and you) | He has a kite. We have kites. |
| Two subjects joined by and: plural verb | Mom and Dad cook dinner. |
| Words between the subject and verb don't change it | The box of crayons is on the desk. |
The fastest check has three steps: find the subject ("Who or what is doing it?"), decide whether it's one or more than one, then choose the verb. If there are extra words in between, cover them with a finger and read the sentence again: "The box... is on the desk."
What does a subject-verb agreement twin question look like?
Singular subject, present tense · Multiple choice
OriginalChoose the correct verb: The puppy (play / plays) in the yard.
TwinChoose the correct verb: The baby (sleep / sleeps) in the crib.
Choosing is or are · Fill in the blank
OriginalThe apples ____ red. (is / are)
TwinThe flowers ____ yellow. (is / are)
Two subjects joined by and · Fill in the blank
OriginalMom and Grandpa ____ bread on Sundays. (bake / bakes)
TwinMy brother and I ____ to school. (walk / walks)
Words between the subject and the verb · Fill in the blank
OriginalThe basket of oranges ____ heavy. (is / are)
TwinThe stack of books ____ on the floor. (was / were)
Illustrative examples of how Easy Twin mirrors a question. The app writes brand-new questions from your own worksheet each time.
What subject-verb agreement mistakes do kids make most?
Putting -s on both words
A child writes "The dogs barks." Remind them that in a simple present sentence, usually only one of the two words gets the s: if the subject has it (more than one dog), the verb doesn't. "The dog barks. The dogs bark."
Matching the closest noun
"The box of crayons are on the desk" sounds right because "crayons" comes just before the verb. Cover "of crayons" and ask what is on the desk: the box. One box, so the verb is is.
Using was and is with plural subjects
"We was late" and "They is playing" are common in casual speech, but written homework expects we were and they are. Practice saying the pairs out loud (I was, we were; it is, they are) until the written form sounds natural.
How can you practice subject-verb agreement at home in 10 minutes?
Kids often hear the right answer before they can explain it, so say the sentences out loud.
- Minutes 1–3: one or more? Write subjects on index cards (the frog, my cousins, she, my aunt and uncle, the bag of apples) and have your child sort them into "one" and "more than one."
- Minutes 4–7: make it match. Call out a verb (jump, is, has, was) and your child writes a sentence for one card from each pile.
- Minutes 8–10: fix it. Write three sentences with mistakes: "The dogs barks." "My sister have a bike." "The cups on the table is clean." Your child finds and fixes each one.
Next time, use new subjects and verbs, and include at least one sentence with words between the subject and the verb.
Which grades practice subject-verb agreement?
How can Easy Twin help with subject-verb agreement?
Scan the grammar worksheet your child brought home and Easy Twin makes a twin that practices the same agreement rules with new subjects, verbs and sentences. Each question has two hints and worked steps, and your child can play it as a quest or you can print it with an answer key.
Frequently asked questions
What grade learns subject-verb agreement?
Kids usually start matching simple subjects and verbs in 1st and 2nd grade. In most US schools they're expected to use subject-verb agreement correctly in their own writing by 3rd grade, with harder sentences in 4th grade and beyond.
Why do singular verbs end in -s?
That's how English present tense works: with he, she, it or one noun, most verbs add -s (she runs). It confuses kids because plural nouns also end in -s, so the s moves from one word to the other: the dog runs, the dogs run.
Is it "my family is" or "my family are"?
In American English, use "my family is," because a group noun like family, team or class is usually treated as one unit. British English often uses "are," which is why your child may see both in books.
Is it "there is" or "there are"?
It depends on what comes after the verb: "there is a cookie" for one and "there are two cookies" for more than one. In these sentences the subject comes after the verb, so kids have to look ahead to choose.
Topic guide
Related skills
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