As a copyeditor, one of the most important aspects of writing is understanding subject-verb agreement. It`s a fundamental rule in grammar that students learn at an early age, and it`s a skill that they continue to develop and refine throughout their academic years.
In this article, we`ll focus on exercises on subject-verb agreement for class 7 students. These exercises are designed to reinforce the basics of subject-verb agreement, as well as introduce students to more complex sentence structures.
Exercise #1: Simple Sentences
The first exercise is designed to help students understand the basic concept of subject-verb agreement. Here are a few examples:
1. My brother (singular subject) loves (singular verb) to play basketball.
2. The students (plural subject) enjoy (plural verb) learning new things.
3. The dog (singular subject) barks (singular verb) at strangers.
These sentences are simple because they only contain one subject and one verb. Encourage your class 7 students to come up with their own examples of simple sentences that follow subject-verb agreement rules.
Exercise #2: Compound Subjects and Verbs
The second exercise is designed to help students understand how to correctly use subject-verb agreement in sentences that contain more than one subject or verb. Here are a few examples:
1. My brother and sister (compound subject) love (plural verb) to play basketball.
2. The students and teachers (compound subject) enjoy (plural verb) learning new things.
3. The dog and cat (compound subject) bark (plural verb) at strangers.
In these examples, the subjects are joined by the conjunction „and.” The verb that follows must be plural to agree with the compound subject.
Exercise #3: Indefinite Pronouns
The third exercise is designed to help students understand how to use indefinite pronouns correctly. Indefinite pronouns refer to an unspecified person or thing. Here are a few examples:
1. Everyone (singular indefinite pronoun) loves (singular verb) ice cream.
2. Some of the students (plural indefinite pronoun) enjoy (plural verb) playing sports.
3. Each of the dogs (plural indefinite pronoun) bark (singular verb) at strangers.
In these examples, the singular indefinite pronoun „everyone” and the plural indefinite pronoun „some” require singular and plural verbs respectively.
Exercise #4: Tricky Sentences
The fourth exercise is designed to challenge students and see if they can identify and correct tricky subject-verb agreement errors. Here are a few examples:
1. The group of students (singular subject) are (incorrect plural verb) going on a field trip.
2. The police officer (singular subject) are (incorrect plural verb) helping the lost child.
3. The boys (plural subject) was (incorrect singular verb) playing basketball.
In these examples, the verbs do not agree with the subject. The correct verbs should be „is,” „is,” and „were” respectively.
In conclusion, understanding subject-verb agreement is essential for clear and effective writing. By practicing these exercises, your class 7 students can improve their grammar skills and become more confident writers.