Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement ensures that the subject and verb in a sentence match in number—singular subjects take singular verbs, while plural subjects take plural verbs. Second-grade instruction should begin with clear, straightforward examples where the subject directly precedes the verb, helping students establish the basic pattern before introducing more complex scenarios. Focus on present tense verbs where the distinction between singular and plural forms is most noticeable (e.g., "The boy runs" versus "The boys run"), using visual cues and physical actions to reinforce the patterns. Introduce common irregular verbs like "be" (is/are) and "have" (has/have) through targeted practice, as these high-frequency verbs appear regularly in student writing but don't follow standard -s ending patterns for singular forms. Address potential confusion points such as collective nouns (team, family, class) which are grammatically singular despite referring to multiple people, using sentence frames and guided practice to reinforce proper agreement. Implement interactive activities like "Agreement Detectives" where students identify and correct subject-verb agreement errors in grade-appropriate texts, developing their editing skills while reinforcing the concept. Connect subject-verb agreement instruction to reading fluency by highlighting how correct agreement contributes to the natural flow and comprehensibility of text.