Ss: We are watching and listening to you.

T: (Writes the sentence "We are watching and listening to you. ")

The teacher is drawing on the blackboard.

We are watching and listening to you. Now please have a look at these two sentences. Can we say the teacher are drawing or we is watching and listening to the teacher?

Ss: No.

T: Why?

Ss: There are some rules for us to follow when we write sentences.

T: You are right. When we write a sentence the predicate should agree with the subject, which is called subject-verb agreement. If we can not apply the rules correctly, we might not get ourselves understood.

2. Instruct the students to discover the rules for subject-verb agreement.

T: There are three main principles for us to follow. 语法一致　就近一致　意义一致

Show the students some sentences and get them to complete the sentences by filling in the predicate. Get them to observe the sentences and sum up the rules.

T: Now please look at the screen and complete the sentences by filling in the blanks.

A boy _________ sitting there. (be)

Water _________ important to us. (be) S: Both the two blanks should be filled in "is".

T: Is he right?

Ss: Yes.

T: Now observe the sentences. Can you sum up one rule according to the two sentences?

S: Let me have a try. When the subject is a noun in single form or is an abstract noun, the predicate should be in single form.

T: Very good.

After being introduced to the rules, the students are asked to finish exercise 1 on Page 5. Here are the exercises with keys.

1. The family is (be) very big.

The family are (be) early risers.

2. This class has (have) eighteen girls and twenty-five boys.