 Study Skills, The City Lit IYS - A Grammar A6 Making Sentences 6 - Adding a verb or subject.doc Ws E3.

Making Sentences 6.

A sentence needs a SUBJECT and a VERB (see Making

Sentences 3, 4 & 5) in order for it to make sense.

The VERB is sometimes called the ‘doing word’ or a

‘being word’.
word’

It tells you what is happening in a sentence.

The SUBJECT is the person/s or thing/s or place/s

doing or being whatever is happening in the sentence.

Examples
SUBJECT VERB (

The telephone rang

The dog jumped

Sarah and Adeola sing

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 Study Skills, The City Lit IYS - A Grammar A6 Making Sentences 6 - Adding a verb or subject.doc Ws E3.2

REVIEW

Every sentence has to have a subject in order for it to

make sense.

The person, thing or place it is about is the SUBJECT.

SUBJECT.

A sentence has to be about at least one of the following:

A thing or things: something = subject

A person or persons: someone = subject

A place or places: somewhere = subject.

Each sentence is missing either a subject or a

verb.
verb
Put in the missing word and tick the box to say
whether the missing word is a subject or a
verb.
verb

1. Tom and Ike ………………….. about football.

subject  verb 

2. They ………………… their washing in the sun.

subject  verb 
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  Study Skills, The City Lit IYS - A Grammar A6 Making Sentences 6 - Adding a verb or subject.doc Ws E3.2

3. The teacher ………………… to the diagram.

subject  verb 

4. …………………………….. answers the phone.

subject  verb 

5. Aysha ……………………. in a laboratory.

subject  verb 

6. ……..…………………… and ………………. are delicious.

subject  verb 

7. The mechanics ………………………..... the car.

subject  verb 

SENTENCES CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE SUBJECT (persons or

things or places). Put a tick by any of the 7 sentences above that
have more than one subject?

When there is more than subject, use the word PLURAL.

When there is only one, use the word SINGULAR.
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 Study Skills, The City Lit IYS - A Grammar A6 Making Sentences 6 - Adding a verb or subject.doc Ws E3.2

In the following sentences underline the subject.

Tick the box to say whether the subject is PLURAL
or SINGULAR.

1. Big Ben chimes loudly.

singular  plural 

2. The Houses of Parliament are by the

river.
singular  plural 

3. The tree stood in the corner of the park.

singular  plural 

4. Ed, Ben and Martha sing together.

singular  plural 

See sheets A43 & A44 for further work on Subject and Verb Agreement