Subject-Verb Agreement

This educational video provides a clear and engaging introduction to modal verbs, a special class of auxiliary or "helper" verbs in the English language. Narrated by David, the video defines modality as the expression of conditions—such as likelihood, ability, permission, and obligation—and introduces the core list of modal verbs including may, might, must, can, could, shall, should, will, and would. The narrator uses a digital whiteboard to visually map out these concepts, making abstract grammar rules concrete and accessible. The content breaks down the three unique grammatical properties of modal verbs that distinguish them from regular verbs. First, they "agree with everything," meaning they do not change form based on the subject (e.g., no adding 's' for third-person singular). Second, they lack an infinitive form (one cannot say "to can" or "to must"). Third, they indicate specific modalities. Through humorous and relatable examples—like a detective deducing clues or a height requirement for a "Doom-coaster"—the video illustrates how these verbs function in everyday sentences. For educators, this video serves as an excellent foundational tool for teaching parts of speech and sentence structure. It effectively clarifies common student errors, such as incorrect conjugation or using modals as infinitives. The clear visual text and distinct color-coding aid in retention, while the diverse examples provide readymade sentences for classroom analysis. It is particularly useful for upper elementary and middle school English Language Arts curriculums, as well as for English Language Learners (ELLs) mastering the nuances of English verb structures.

This educational video provides a clear and accessible explanation of subject-verb agreement, a fundamental concept in English grammar. The narrator uses the analogy of a "square peg in a square hole" to illustrate the necessity of matching sentence parts correctly. The video breaks down the differences between singular and plural subjects and how they dictate the form of the verb, specifically highlighting the counter-intuitive rule that while plural nouns often end in "s," third-person singular verbs also end in "s." The video explores key grammatical themes including conjugation, singular versus plural forms, and the specific rules governing third-person singular verbs. It directly addresses the common confusion students face regarding why an "s" is added to verbs for singular subjects (e.g., "The dog barks") but removed for plural subjects (e.g., "The dogs bark"). Additionally, the video touches upon indefinite pronouns like "anyone," explaining why they are treated as singular subjects despite implying a group context. For educators, this video serves as an excellent tool for introducing or reinforcing grammar rules in upper elementary and middle school classrooms. The step-by-step strategy provided—finding the subject, determining if it is singular or plural, and checking for the "s"—gives students a practical method for self-editing. The visual use of a blackboard with clear color-coded text helps visual learners grasp the patterns of agreement, making it a valuable resource for writing workshops and grammar mini-lessons.

This video provides an engaging introduction to the concept of subject-verb agreement in English grammar, specifically focusing on the relationship between singular/plural nouns and present tense verbs. The narrator uses a blackboard style to visually demonstrate how the letter "s" tends to "migrate" between the subject and the verb. Through clear examples like "The dog barks" versus "The dogs bark," the video illustrates the general rule that singular subjects often take a verb ending in "s," while plural subjects take a base verb form. A key highlight of the explanation is the "Gollum Test," a humorous analogy drawing on the character from *The Lord of the Rings*. The narrator explains that adding an "s" to a verb when the subject is already plural (e.g., "We bakes") sounds like the character Gollum ("We hates it"). This pop culture reference serves as a memorable mnemonic device for students to self-correct their writing by listening to how their sentences sound. For educators, this video is an excellent tool for simplifying a grammar rule that often confuses young writers. It moves beyond rote memorization by offering visual and auditory hooks—the "migrating s" and the "Gollum voice"—that help students internalize the pattern. It is particularly useful for introduction in upper elementary grades or remediation in middle school, helping students identify and fix common agreement errors in their own writing.

This educational video guides students through the final two stages of the writing process: revising and editing. Hosted in a whimsical "Fact Forest" setting, the narrator distinguishes between revising (improving content and structure) and editing (correcting mechanical errors). The video introduces two powerful mnemonic devices—ARMS (Add, Remove, Move, Substitute) for revision and CUPS (Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling) for editing—to help young writers systematically improve their work. Key themes include the distinction between subjective improvements and objective corrections, the importance of audience awareness, and specific strategies for enhancing clarity and engagement. The video demonstrates these concepts using a sample paragraph about Antarctic exploration, modeling exactly how to replace vague words with specific vocabulary, improve sentence flow, and fix grammatical mistakes. It emphasizes that writing is a process that moves from "good to great" through careful review. For educators, this resource serves as an excellent anchor for a writing workshop. It provides concrete, memorable strategies that students can immediately apply to their own drafts. The step-by-step demonstration of correcting a paragraph offers a clear model for students to follow, demystifying the often-abstract concepts of "flow" and "voice." It encourages students to view writing as an iterative craft rather than a one-time task.

In this engaging Language Arts lesson, students visit the fictional kingdom of Harmony Island, where communication has broken down because the subjects cannot agree on which verbs to use. The host and her robot companion, Mia, help King Graham R. Whiz establish official laws for subject-verb agreement to restore order. Through this narrative framework, the video systematically breaks down complex grammar rules into four clear, manageable guidelines.

This video provides a clear and engaging overview of indefinite pronouns, a specific category of pronouns used when referring to unspecified people or things. The narrator, David, breaks down the concept by explaining the literal meaning of "indefinite" and offering common examples like "anybody," "each," and "everyone." He uses a catchy song reference to help viewers remember the category and establishes a friendly, accessible tone for learning complex grammatical rules. The content focuses on three main "cool things" or rules regarding indefinite pronouns: their flexibility to function as either subjects or objects, the unique "dual" nature of words like "both," "neither," and "either," and the tricky rule that they are usually treated as singular verbs. The video delves into the nuance of subject-verb agreement, addressing the common confusion students face when words implying a group (like "everyone") require singular verbs (like "is"). For educators, this video serves as an excellent tool for teaching parts of speech and sentence structure. It goes beyond basic definitions by discussing linguistic evolution and the conflict between strict grammar rules and modern usage, specifically how context can sometimes override grammatical number. This makes it suitable for discussing prescriptive versus descriptive grammar with older students while remaining simple enough for introducing the basics of pronoun agreement.

In this engaging grammar lesson, the narrator introduces the concept of "base plurals," a specific type of irregular plural noun where the singular and plural forms are identical. Using the classic example of "sheep," the video illustrates how standard pluralization rules (adding an "s") do not apply to this unique class of words. The narrator demonstrates that instead of changing the noun, we rely on context clues—specifically subject-verb agreement—to determine whether the subject is singular or plural. The video expands beyond sheep to explore other common base plurals like "fish" and "bison," showing how verbs change (e.g., "migrate" vs. "migrates") to indicate number while the noun remains static. A key segment addresses the nuanced exception of the word "fishes," clarifying that while "fish" is the standard plural for a group of individual fish, "fishes" is technically correct only when referring to multiple distinct species, a distinction often used in scientific contexts. For educators, this video is an excellent resource for teaching upper elementary and middle school students about the complexities of English pluralization. It moves beyond simple memorization by encouraging students to look at sentence structure and verb conjugation to understand meaning. The clear visual examples and the specific "fish vs. fishes" distinction make it particularly useful for bridging grammar instruction with scientific writing standards.