ABSTRACT
Common Core Language Standard 3.1 calls for students to “ensure subject-verb . . . agreement” when writing and speaking (Common Core Standards, 2010). The essence of subject-verb agreement is that singular subjects have singular verbs, and plural subjects need plural verbs. This concept, although logical, has the potential to be problematic for students. To apply the rule to their own work, students need to understand the ways verbs can change when nouns and pronouns change from first-or secondto third-person point of view and from singular to plural. The tense of a sentence makes a difference as well; a sentence written in the past tense uses a different form of a verb than one written in the present. For example, the sentence “She runs on the track” is written in the present tense, while “She ran on the track” is written in the past tense. Each one of these sentences contains subject-verb agreement, but the specific verb form used varies based on whether the sentence is written in the past or present tense. In addition, students need to understand various irregular verbs that can make mastering subject-verb agreement especially challenging. Killgallon and Killgallon (2010) refer to verbs as the tools of narration; to be clear and effective narrators, students need the skills to make sure that subjects and verbs agree. The major topics to address when discussing subject verb agreement are first-person narration, second person narration, third-person narration, and irregular verbs. Each concept is crucial to students’ abilities to clearly depict the events taking place in their works.
