Subject-verb agreement is a crucial aspect of English grammar that students need to master by the sixth grade. This essential skill helps convey clear and concise communication, making it easier for readers to understand written text. In this article, we’ll explore some common examples of subject-verb agreement in grade six.

Firstly, let`s define subject-verb agreement. A subject is the ‘doer’ of the action in a sentence, while the verb is the action itself. Therefore, subject-verb agreement refers to the agreement between the subject and the verb in terms of their number (singular or plural).

For example, in the sentence “The boy runs,” the subject is ‘boy,’ and the verb is ‘runs.’ The subject and the verb are in agreement because they both identify a singular object.

Similarly, in the sentence “The boys run,” the subject is ‘boys,’ and the verb is ‘run.’ The subject and the verb are in agreement because both identify a plural object.

Now that we’ve established an understanding of subject-verb agreement, let`s take a look at some common errors that students make in grade six.

One common mistake is when the subject and the verb are separated by a phrase. For example, in the sentence, “The pack of lions is fierce,” the subject is ‘pack,’ and the verb is ‘is.’ Although ‘lions’ is plural, it is not the subject of the sentence as it is separated by the phrase ‘of lions.’

Another mistake is when the subject and the verb are in the opposite number. For instance, in the sentence, “The group of students were talking loudly,” the subject is ‘group,’ which is singular, and the verb is ‘were,’ which is plural. The subject and the verb should be in agreement, so it should read, “The group of students was talking loudly.”

Irregular verbs can also pose a challenge to subject-verb agreement. For example, in the sentence, “The children ate ice cream,” the verb `ate` is an irregular past tense verb, which does not change based on the subject. It always remains the same. So if the subject was `child,` it would still be `ate.`

In conclusion, mastering subject-verb agreement is essential for grade six students to improve their writing skills. Understanding the agreement between the subject and the verb is crucial in conveying clear communication. Students should practice the use of subject-verb agreement to avoid mistakes and create well-written texts.