How Subjects and Verbs Agree

Khan Academy

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.