Copula
What is the copula in the sentence "She is a doctor"?
IS
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.
Choose the correct verb: “Neither the boys nor the girl ___ prepared for the exam.”
List all present tense forms of the copula "to be."
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).
Fix this sentence: “The group of students are noisy.”
What is "is"
Which copula form fits: "The dogs ___ playful."
Are. Were. Have Been
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."
Explain why “The committee disagree” may be correct.
In British English, collective nouns can take plural verbs to emphasize individuals; American English prefers singular agreement.
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.
Correct this: "They was happy about the news that were on TV."
They were happy about the news that was on TV.
How can peer teaching help with learning copula and agreement?
It encourages students to explain concepts, reinforcing their own understanding.
True or False: “The audience were clapping” is always incorrect.
What is “False”—it’s acceptable in British English.
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?").
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.
Correct this sentence: “Neither of the answers are correct.”
“Neither of the answers is correct.”