Copula Basics
What is the copula in the sentence "She is a doctor"?
IS
Does "Everyone" take a singular or plural verb?
Singular
Identify the mistake: "He don't like pizza."
The correct form is "He doesn't like pizza."
What’s an engaging activity for teaching subject-verb agreement?
Role-playing, error analysis games, or sentence correction relays.
In the sentence "She is reading a book," is "is" a copula or an auxiliary verb?
Auxiliary (helping verb for the present progressive tense).
List all present tense forms of the copula "to be."
Am, Is, Are
Choose the correct verb: "The team (is/are) winning."
Is (American English prefers singular for collective nouns).
Correct the error: "The flowers beautiful."
The flowers are beautiful.
How would you explain the difference between "is" and "are" to a beginner?
Use visuals and simple examples, like "He is" (one) vs. "They are" (many).
Decide if "is" is a copula or an auxiliary in "He is a teacher."
Copula (linking the subject "He" to the complement "a teacher").
Which copula form fits: "The dogs ___ playful."
Are
Correct this sentence: "Neither the teachers nor the student were ready."
Neither the teachers nor the student was ready.
Explain why "She are tired" is incorrect.
The correct copula form is "is," not "are," with the singular subject "She."
Name a strategy to help students remember irregular copula forms.
Use chants or songs that reinforce forms like "am, is, are."
In "They have been studying for the exam," is "been" functioning as a copula or an auxiliary?
Auxiliary (helping verb for the present perfect progressive tense).
Explain why we use "was" instead of "were" in "I was tired yesterday."
"Was" is used with the first-person singular (I) in past tense.
Explain why "The news is shocking" uses a singular verb.
"News" is a singular uncountable noun.
Correct this: "They was happy about the news."
They were happy about the news.
How can peer teaching help with learning copula and agreement?
It encourages students to explain concepts, reinforcing their own understanding.
"The flowers will be beautiful," determine if "be" is a copula or an auxiliary.
Copula (linking the subject "flowers" to the adjective "beautiful").
Name a context in which the copula can be omitted in English (e.g., informal speech).
In informal speech, especially with pronouns (e.g., "You okay?").
In the sentence "There is a book and two pens on the table," why is "is" used instead of "are"?
The verb agrees with the nearest subject, "a book."
Why is "The committee have decided" incorrect in American English?
"Committee" is treated as singular in American English, so it should be "has decided."
What’s a common misconception about "to be" you might encounter when teaching?
Students may overgeneralize forms like "is" for all subjects.
In the sentence "She was feeling tired," identify if "was" is a copula or an auxiliary.
Auxiliary (helping verb for the past progressive tense).