Subject-Verb Agreement

The subject and the verb in a sentence must match. If the subject is one person or thing, the verb must match it. If the subject is more than one, the verb must match too.

What You'll Learn

In P1, you learnt that singular subjects use verbs with -s (e.g., "She runs"). Now you will:

Match singular subjects to singular verbs and plural subjects to plural verbs
Use the correct verb with is/am/are and has/have
Choose the right verb for he, she, it, we, they

When to Use

Subject-verb agreement is needed in every sentence you write. Here are some common situations:

Talking about one person or thing: "My brother likes to read."
Talking about more than one: "My brothers like to read."
Using is/am/are: "The puppy is playful." / "The puppies are playful."
Using has/have: "She has a new bag." / "They have new bags."

How to Form

Step 1: Find the Subject

The subject is who or what the sentence is about.

Sentence	Subject	One or many?
The girl sings.	The girl	One
The girls sing.	The girls	Many
My cat sleeps a lot.	My cat	One
My cats sleep a lot.	My cats	Many

Step 2: Pick the Right Verb

Subject	Action verb	is/am/are	has/have
I	walk (no -s)	am	have
He / She / It	walks (+s)	is	has
You / We / They	walk (no -s)	are	have

Adding -s or -es to Verbs

Verb ending	Rule	Example
Most verbs	Add -s	run -> runs
Ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -o	Add -es	wash -> washes
Ends in consonant + y	Change y to -ies	cry -> cries

Key Rules

One subject = verb with -s: When the subject is one person or thing (he, she, it, a name), add -s or -es to the verb. "The bird flies away."
Many subjects = verb without -s: When the subject is more than one (we, they, plural nouns), do not add -s. "The birds fly away."
"I" is special: "I" always uses the verb without -s. "I like ice cream." (Not "I likes".)
Use the right helper verb: Match is/am/are and has/have to the subject. "He is tall." / "They are tall."

Common Mistakes

Wrong	Right	Why
The dog run fast.	The dog runs fast.	"The dog" is one -- add -s to the verb
She have a red pencil.	She has a red pencil.	"She" is singular -- use "has"
They is playing outside.	They are playing outside.	"They" is plural -- use "are"
I goes to school by bus.	I go to school by bus.	"I" uses the verb without -s

Clue Words

Singular clues (use verb with -s, or is/has)

he, she, it, a boy, a girl, the cat, my mother, my father, everyone

Plural clues (use verb without -s, or are/have)

we, they, the boys, the girls, the cats, my parents, my friends

Special

I -- always uses verb without -s, but uses "am" (not "is" or "are")

Tip: Look at the subject. Is it one? Add -s to the verb. Is it many? No -s needed. Think: "One -s, many no -s."

Practice Tips

Point and check: Point to the subject, then point to the verb. Ask yourself: "Is the subject one or many?" Then check if the verb matches.
Try swapping: Change "The cat runs" to "The cats ___." If you took away -s from the noun, also take away -s from the verb. If you added -s to the noun, take away -s from the verb.
Read aloud: Say the sentence out loud. "She have a book" sounds wrong. "She has a book" sounds right. Your ears can help you!

Quick Reference

Subject	Action verb	is / am / are	has / have	Example
I	walk	am	have	I walk to school.
He / She / It	walks	is	has	She walks to school.
You	walk	are	have	You walk to school.
We / They	walk	are	have	They walk to school.
The boy (one)	eats	is	has	The boy eats his lunch.
The boys (many)	eat	are	have	The boys eat their lunch.

Subject-Verb Agreement (P2) (Primary 2)