6 Exciting Subject-Verb Agreement Games & Activities for Adult ESL

Subject-verb agreement has a reputation for being dry, tedious, and the grammatical equivalent of watching paint dry.

And if we’re being real, that reputation is deserved…that is, if you’re just using worksheets where students circle the correct verb over and over until their eyes glaze over.

But here’s the thing: subject-verb agreement is actually important. Your students need it. Native speakers notice when it’s wrong. And if you teach it through games and activities instead of only worksheets, it doesn’t have to be painful.  (Worksheets totally have their place, but they’re not the be-all and end-all.)

So let’s figure out how to make subject-verb agreement engaging. Or at least tolerable.

Subject-Verb Agreement in a Nutshell

If you’re new to teaching, here’s the quick version:

Subjects must agree with their verbs. Singular subjects take singular verbs. Plural subjects take plural verbs.

Sounds simple, right? It is… until it isn’t.

The Basics of Subject-Verb Agreement

Even absolute beginners learn this concept early with pronouns and “be” verbs:

• I am
• you/we/they are
• she/he/it is

Easy, right? So straightforward that there can’t possibly be any confusion.  Ha!

Then you add regular verbs in present tense, and students learn that third person singular gets an -s:

• I walk / she walks
• we eat / he eats
• they study / it studies

Still manageable. Keep it this simple for beginners. Add the trickier parts as they increase their fluency.

Where Subject-Verb Agreement Gets Messy

Here’s where students start making mistakes:

Compound subjects joined by “and,” “or,” “nor”: Do you use singular or plural? It depends. “Tom and Jerry are fighting” (plural – both subjects). “Either Tom or Jerry is responsible” (singular – one of them). “Neither the students nor the teacher knows the answer” (verb agrees with the closest subject).

• Collective nouns: “The team is winning” or “The team are winning”? In American English, usually singular. In British English, sometimes plural. Your students will be confused. That’s normal.
• Prepositional phrases interrupting subject and verb: “The students in the classroom is studying.” NOPE. Don’t let the prepositional phrase fool you. The subject is “students” (plural), so it should be “are studying.”
• Indefinite pronouns: “Everyone are here” might look right to some students because it refers to multiple people.  However, that should be “Everyone is here.” Same with “somebody,” “nobody,” “each,” “either,” “neither.” All singular.

Now let’s turn this grammar nightmare into something students might actually enjoy practicing.

Activity 1: SPEED ROUND (Listening)

If you have enough mini whiteboards for each student (or they can use paper), this activity makes subject-verb agreement competitive.

How it works:

Use a worksheet that requires students to choose between two options (two subjects or two verbs).  Need something premade? Try my Subject-Verb Agreement Grammar Guide & Worksheets resource in my TpT store!

Read the sentence aloud and say both choices. Students decide which is correct, write it on their whiteboard, and hold it up.

Scoring options:

• Award one point for the first correct answer (encourages speed)
• Award one point for every correct answer within a set time limit (encourages accuracy over speed)

Choose based on your students’ level and needs.

Why this works:

The visual element (holding up whiteboards) lets you instantly see who gets it and who’s struggling. The competition keeps students engaged. And the speed component prevents overthinking.

Activity 2: Subject-Verb Agreement PARTNER DIALOGUES (Speaking)

Create dialogues with either subjects or verbs missing from each sentence. Focus entirely on nouns, entirely on verbs, or mix them up.

Students read dialogues together in pairs, filling in missing words as they go.

Options:

• Students work at their desks/tables (lower pressure)
• Students perform dialogues in front of the class (if you have dramatic students who love performing)

Why this works:

Dialogues put subject-verb agreement in realistic conversational contexts instead of isolated sentences. Students practice speaking while applying grammar rules, which is closer to how they’ll actually use English.

Plus, working in pairs reduces the pressure compared to whole-class activities. Students feel safer making mistakes with just one partner.

Activity 3: TEACH IT TO LEARN IT (Speaking/Presenting)

“If you want to master something, teach it.”

I don’t know who said that first, but it’s absolutely true. I learned more grammar nuances when I had to TEACH it than I ever did as a student.

Give your students that same opportunity.

Have them create videos where they explain subject-verb agreement rules. They can work in groups, pairs, or solo.

Why this works:

Teaching forces deeper understanding. Students can’t just memorize rules. They have to understand them well enough to explain them to someone else.

Plus, creating videos is more engaging than filling out worksheets for many. Students who hate traditional grammar exercises often love making videos.  (But you’ll still get some who cling to the comforting familiarity of a worksheet.)

One time when I assigned this, a group of students created a comedy sketch where one person kept making subject-verb agreement errors and another person played a grammar police officer who kept correcting them. It was ridiculously over the top.  Everyone loved it, and I doubt those students will never forget the rules they demonstrated.

Activity 4: Subject-Verb Agreement RELAY RACE (Reading/Writing)

This gets students moving and working as a team.

Setup:

Choose (or create) several different subject-verb agreement worksheets on error correction, enough for one per team of 4-8 students. Tape each worksheet to the wall or board at a distance from the others.

How to play:

Players from each team take turns coming up to the board, choosing a sentence to correct, and writing the correction on the board. They then tag the next person on their team.

Once time is up, award one point per correct sentence. Maybe give a bonus point to the team that finishes first.

Wildcard option: Students can use their turn to FIX an error another teammate made. This encourages peer checking and collaboration.

Alternative: Use a stack of task cards at the front of the room that students choose from and complete.  Need some print-n-go task cards? I’ve got them in my TpT store!

Why this works:

Movement makes this more engaging than sitting at desks. The team element adds accountability. Students want to help their team win, so they pay attention and try hard.

Activity 5: PICTURE PROMPT (Writing)

Show students a picture depicting lots of activity. Have them write sentences describing what’s happening in the picture.

Encourage them to include:

• Compound subjects joined by “and,” “or,” “nor”
• Collective nouns as subjects
• Prepositional phrases between subjects and verbs

Awards:

• First person to create X number of sentences
• Widest variety of sentence structures
• Most sentences that sound like a coherent story
• Most creative sentences
• Best use of challenging structures

If your class is small enough, try to create a winning category for each student. Everyone likes recognition, and they’ll appreciate that you can find something positive about them.

Why this works:

A picture prompt gives students a concrete starting point instead of a blank page. They’re creating original sentences (not just correcting errors), which requires deeper thinking about subject-verb agreement.

Plus, awards motivate students to push themselves beyond minimum requirements.

Activity 6: Subject-Verb Agreement Running Dictation (All Four Language Domains!)

This game requires space, tolerance for noise, and students with energy to burn.

Setup:

Students work in pairs. One is the reader/speaker, the other is the listener/writer.

You need several worksheets with subject-verb agreement sentences (with errors to correct), enough for one per student. Each worksheet should have different sentences if possible. If not, make sure partners of reader/speakers don’t sit near each other.

Put all listener/writer students together in a row. Mark a line on the floor six feet in front of them.

Put all reader/speaker students at the other end of the room (or down a hallway) where you’ve taped one worksheet per student. Space these pages apart so each student can easily see their own page.

How to play:

1. Reader/speaker students read their first sentence, identify and correct the error mentally, then RUN to their partner to dictate the corrected sentence.
2. RULES:
   • They CANNOT bring the page with them
   • They CANNOT take a photo
   • They MUST stand behind the marked line when dictating
   • They CAN run back and forth as many times as needed
3. Listener/writer students can ask partners to repeat or spell words. They’ll face the challenge of hearing only their partner’s voice while multiple reader/speakers are dictating simultaneously. This is where it gets LOUD.
4. First pair to write all sentences correctly wins!

Why this works:

This combines listening, speaking, reading, writing, running, and collaboration. It’s high-energy, competitive, and forces students to really understand subject-verb agreement (not just recognize the right answer on a worksheet).

The noise and chaos actually work in your favor. Students are so focused on hearing their partners and getting sentences right that they forget they’re practicing grammar.

Fair warning: your classroom neighbors might complain. But your students will love it and remember the grammar rules.  Oh, and watch out for that quiet student who just might have the loudest voice of them all!

Common Errors to Watch For

• The group of students are… Nope. “Group” is the subject (singular). Should be “is.”
• Neither the teacher nor the students is… Nope. With “neither/nor” and “either/or,” the verb agrees with the CLOSEST subject. “Students” is plural, so it should be “are.”
• Each of the students have… Nope. “Each” is singular. Should be “has.”
• The team are winning. In American English, collective nouns usually take singular verbs (“The team is winning”). In British English, both singular and plural are acceptable. Pick one approach and stay consistent with your students.
• There’s several problems with this. Nope. “There’s” = “there is” (singular). “Several problems” is plural. Should be “There are several problems.”

The Bottom Line

Subject-verb agreement doesn’t have to be the most boring topic you teach this year. Yes, it’s detail-oriented and requires practice. Of course students will make lots of mistakes until it’s burned onto their brains.

But when you turn grammar practice into games, races, videos, and collaborative activities, students engage with the material instead of just enduring it. They’re internalizing patterns and applying them naturally. They will learn more, retain it longer, and might actually have fun while practicing grammar.

That’s it from me.  See you in the next post!

Looking for something that’s print-and-go? Click to see them in my TpT store!

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