Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement may be a difficult concept for ELLs to master because in some languages, the rules are reversed in English. For example, in Standard English one correctly says, "You need water." In Spanish, "Tu necesitas agua" means the same thing. (Notice the addition of the "s" on the verb.)

The video linked in this posting reviews the basics of subject-verb agreement.  It also includes some "tricky" subject-verb agreement scenarios.  The presenter speaks slowly, the audio is matched with text on the screen, and color coding is used to make the information easier to digest.  Additionally, a transcript of the video is provided in the comments, making it especially helpful for ELLs.

This article presents several instructional strategies for teaching subject-verb agreement.  This first activity outlined in the piece is my favorite because it incorporates movement.  Students are asked to describe a physical activity "in progress."

Do you have any suggestions for teaching subject-verb agreement?  Share them in the comments!