English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
One or more than one?
One or more than one?
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the subject (who or what) in a simple sentence.
Identify the verb (the action word) in a simple sentence.
Determine if a subject is singular (one) or plural (more than one).
Match a singular subject with the correct verb form (usually ending in -s).
Match a plural subject with the correct verb form (usually without an -s).
Correctly use verbs with the special subjects 'I' and 'you'.
Write a simple sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.
Have you ever heard someone say, 'The dogs runs fast'? 🤔 That sounds a little funny, doesn't it?
Today, we're going to learn how to make our sentences sound just right! We will learn how to match our 'who' or 'what' words (subjects) with our �...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
SubjectThe 'who' or 'what' the sentence is about. It's the person, place, or thing doing the action.In 'The **girl** throws the ball,' the subject is 'girl'.
VerbThe action word in the sentence. It tells what the subject is doing.In 'The girl **throws** the ball,' the verb is 'throws'.
SingularThis means there is only ONE of something.One **cat**, one **boy**, one **house**.
PluralThis means there is MORE THAN ONE of something.Two **cats**, many **boys**, several **houses**.
AgreementWhen the subject and the verb in a sentence match each other perfectly.The **dog barks**. The **dogs bark**. The subject and verb agree.
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Singular 'S' Rule
Singular Subject + Verb with an 's'
When your subject is just one person, place, or thing, the verb that shows action right now usually ends with an 's'. Think: 'S' for Singular!
The Plural Plain Rule
Plural Subject + Verb with no 's'
When your subject is more than one, the verb is usually plain and does not have an 's' at the end. Think: More than one, no 's' on the verb.
The Special 'I' and 'You' Rule
'I' or 'You' + Verb with no 's'
The words 'I' and 'you' are special. Even though they mean one person, they act like a plural subject and use a verb with no 's'.
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Challenging
If the subject is 'the team', which sentence would be correct?
A.The team practice every day.
B.The team are practicing.
C.The team is good.
D.The team practices every day.
Challenging
Only one of these sentences is correct. Which one is it?
A.My friends comes to my house.
B.He like to play soccer.
C.We walk to the library.
D.The cat sleep on the rug.
Challenging
The 'Singular S' Rule adds an 's' to the verb for one subject (The girl throws). The 'Plural Plain' Rule uses a plain verb for more than one subject (The girls throw). What does the 'Special Rule' say to do for the subject 'I'?
A.Add an 's' to the verb, like a singular subject.
B.Use a plain verb, like a plural subject.
C.Add 'es' to the verb.
D.The subject 'I' cannot be used with action verbs.
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