Activities to Teach Students to Use the Correct Verb – With Compound Subjects
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As students progress in their English language studies, they will inevitably encounter compound subjects – two or more subjects that are joined by a conjunction. Using the correct verb is essential in constructing grammatically correct sentences. Unfortunately, this can be a challenging concept for many students to master.
Here are some activities that educators can use to help students understand and use the correct verb when dealing with compound subjects:
Sentence building games
– Start with simple sentences containing compound subjects and verbs. Ask students to pair up and take turns building a sentence with a given compound subject and verb. The sentence should change each time to reflect a different subject-verb agreement (e.g. “John and Sarah run”, “John runs and Sarah runs”).
Group discussions
– Have students work in groups to discuss a topic or question. Each group member is responsible for contributing to the conversation with a sentence that contains a compound subject and verb. Encourage students to listen to their peers’ sentences to ensure proper agreement.
Verb tense practice
– Provide students with sentences containing compound subjects and verbs, but with tense errors. Students must correct the sentence to reflect proper subject-verb agreement while also ensuring the correct verb tense is used.
Interactive whiteboard exercises
– Use an interactive whiteboard to display compound subject and verb pairs. Ask students to come up to the board and match the subjects with the correct verb.
Creative writing activities
– Ask students to write a paragraph or short story that includes at least three compound subject and verb pairs. Encourage them to use their imagination and incorporate proper subject-verb agreement throughout their writing.
By incorporating these activities and others like them, educators can help students master the use of correct verbs with compound subjects. These activities not only teach the rules, but also make the learning interactive and fun. With time and practice, students will become proficient at using the correct verb in compound verb structures.