English Language Arts3-5
Plural Verb Endings: -s and -es for Grade 4
By Chanika A.
A slide-based mini lesson of roughly 15 to 20 minutes that teaches 4th graders to add -s and -es to verbs so they agree with singular subjects. Students practice spelling patterns and sentence-level agreement, and the arc moves gradually from teacher modeling toward independent use. It works well as a whole-class warm-up or a focused grammar block.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a whole-class mini lesson at the start of a writing or grammar block, moving through the slides in order so the gradual release arc holds.
- Discussion question: Why does 'The cat jumps' need an -s while 'The cats jump' does not? Ask students to explain the change in their own words before revealing the rule.
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide a chart of common verb endings (-s for most verbs, -es after s, sh, ch, x, z) and let them check spellings against it during guided practice.
- Extension for advanced students: have them rewrite a short paragraph in the present tense, switching subjects between singular and plural and correcting every verb ending.
- Plan about 15 to 20 minutes for the slides and speaker notes, plus 5 to 10 minutes for a quick practice check.
English Language Arts3-5
Plural Verb Endings: -s and -es for Grade 4
By Chanika A.
A slide-based mini lesson of roughly 15 to 20 minutes that teaches 4th graders to add -s and -es to verbs so they agree with singular subjects. Students practice spelling patterns and sentence-level agreement, and the arc moves gradually from teacher modeling toward independent use. It works well as a whole-class warm-up or a focused grammar block.
Customize for your classroom
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use as a whole-class mini lesson at the start of a writing or grammar block, moving through the slides in order so the gradual release arc holds.
- Discussion question: Why does 'The cat jumps' need an -s while 'The cats jump' does not? Ask students to explain the change in their own words before revealing the rule.
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide a chart of common verb endings (-s for most verbs, -es after s, sh, ch, x, z) and let them check spellings against it during guided practice.
- Extension for advanced students: have them rewrite a short paragraph in the present tense, switching subjects between singular and plural and correcting every verb ending.
- Plan about 15 to 20 minutes for the slides and speaker notes, plus 5 to 10 minutes for a quick practice check.