Using 'Is,' 'Are,' 'Was,' 'Were' Correctly: A Linking Verbs Lesson

📚 Linking Verbs: Is, Are, Was, Were Explained

Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that describes or identifies the subject. Think of them as bridges, not action words. The most common linking verbs are forms of 'be': is, are, was, were, am, been, and being.

🎯 Objectives

• 🎯 Identify linking verbs in sentences.
• ✍️ Use 'is,' 'are,' 'was,' and 'were' correctly based on subject-verb agreement.
• 🗣️ Construct grammatically sound sentences using linking verbs.

🛠️ Materials

• 📝 Whiteboard or projector
• 📃 Handout with example sentences
• ✏️ Pencils or pens

🧠 Warm-up (5 minutes)

Activity: Quick review of subject-verb agreement. Ask students to identify the subject and verb in simple sentences and determine if they agree.

💡 Main Instruction

Explanation (15 minutes):

• 🧑‍🏫 'Is' and 'Are': Present Tense. 'Is' is used with singular subjects (e.g., he, she, it, the cat). 'Are' is used with plural subjects (e.g., we, you, they, the cats). Example: The cat is sleeping. The cats are sleeping.
• 🧑‍🏫 'Was' and 'Were': Past Tense. 'Was' is used with singular subjects (e.g., I, he, she, it, the dog). 'Were' is used with plural subjects (e.g., we, you, they, the dogs). Example: The dog was happy. The dogs were happy.
• 🤝 Subject-Verb Agreement is Key! The verb must agree in number with its subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
• 🚫 Watch out for exceptions! With the singular 'you', always use 'are' or 'were'. Example: You are my friend. You were late.

Activity (20 minutes):

Sentence Completion: Provide students with sentences with blanks where they need to fill in the correct form of the verb 'be'.

📝 Assessment

✍️ Fill in the blanks with the correct form of 'is,' 'are,' 'was,' or 'were.'

1. The sky ______ blue.
2. My shoes ______ on the floor.
3. Yesterday, I ______ tired.
4. We ______ at the park.
5. She ______ a doctor.
6. They ______ playing soccer.
7. The book ______ interesting.

🔑 Answer Key

1. is
2. are
3. was
4. were
5. is
6. were
7. was