Core
Match singular masculine and feminine subjects.
A
Why this matters لِمَاذَا نُطَابِقُ الْفِعْلَ؟
A subject-first sentence places a person or group at the centre. The verb must then give accurate information about that subject.
Develop
Control dual and human plural agreement in three time frames.
Stretch
Handle non-human plurals and coordinated subjects accurately.
Communication target: describe what different people and groups did, do and will do without confusing singular and plural endings.
B
Diagnostic start
Use the feedback to locate the agreement family that needs review.
🔎 Entry Check
0/61. Complete: الطَّالِبُ ___ الْوَاجِبَ.
Masculine singular subject → masculine singular verb.
2. Complete: الطَّالِبَةُ ___ الْوَاجِبَ.
Feminine singular subject → feminine singular verb.
3. Complete: الطَّالِبَانِ ___ الْوَاجِبَ.
Human masculine dual subject first → dual verb.
4. Complete: الطَّالِبَاتُ ___ الْوَاجِبَ.
Human feminine plural subject first → feminine plural verb.
5. Complete: الْحَافِلَاتُ ___ مُبَكِّرًا.
A non-human plural takes feminine singular agreement.
6. What controls the verb after a subject-first human noun?
Full agreement means all three features are visible.
1
The core subject-first rule
With an explicit human subject before the verb, the verb normally shows full agreement.
Memory line: الْفَاعِلُ أَوَّلًا ← مُطَابَقَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ — subject first means full agreement.
| Subject feature | Question | Verb signal |
|---|---|---|
| Person | Who: I, you, he, she, we, they? | prefix and/or suffix |
| Gender | Masculine or feminine? | e.g. كَتَبَ / كَتَبَتْ |
| Number | Singular, dual or plural? | e.g. كَتَبَ / كَتَبَا / كَتَبُوا |
أَنَا كَتَبْتُ الرِّسَالَةَ.
→
First person singular: the pronoun and verb agree.
الطَّالِبَتَانِ كَتَبَتَا الرِّسَالَةَ.
→
Feminine dual: both gender and dual number appear.
الطَّالِبَاتُ كَتَبْنَ الرِّسَالَةَ.
→
Human feminine plural: the verb ends in ـنَ.
الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا الرِّسَالَةَ.
→
Human masculine/mixed plural: the verb ends in ـوا.
2
Past-tense full agreement
Past-tense endings carry the subject information after the preposed noun.
| Subject first | Agreeing verb | Complete sentence |
|---|---|---|
| الطَّالِبُ | كَتَبَ | الطَّالِبُ كَتَبَ الْوَاجِبَ. |
| الطَّالِبَةُ | كَتَبَتْ | الطَّالِبَةُ كَتَبَتِ الْوَاجِبَ. |
| الطَّالِبَانِ | كَتَبَا | الطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبَا الْوَاجِبَ. |
| الطَّالِبَتَانِ | كَتَبَتَا | الطَّالِبَتَانِ كَتَبَتَا الْوَاجِبَ. |
| الطُّلَّابُ | كَتَبُوا | الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا الْوَاجِبَ. |
| الطَّالِبَاتُ | كَتَبْنَ | الطَّالِبَاتُ كَتَبْنَ الْوَاجِبَ. |
Connected reading: In الطَّالِبَةُ كَتَبَتِ الْوَاجِبَ, a helping kasra may be heard on the feminine تْ before the article. The underlying past ending remains feminine singular.
Past Agreement Check
0/41. Complete: الْمُعَلِّمَانِ ___ الدَّرْسَ.
Masculine dual subject first → شَرَحَا.
2. Complete: الْمُعَلِّمَتَانِ ___ الدَّرْسَ.
Feminine dual subject first → شَرَحَتَا.
3. Complete: الْأَوْلَادُ ___ إِلَى الْمَلْعَبِ.
Human masculine plural subject first → plural verb.
4. Complete: الْبَنَاتُ ___ إِلَى الْمَلْعَبِ.
Human feminine plural subject first → feminine plural verb.
3
Present-tense full agreement
The present uses person prefixes plus dual/plural suffixes.
| Subject first | Agreeing present | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| الطَّالِبُ | يَكْتُبُ | he writes |
| الطَّالِبَةُ | تَكْتُبُ | she writes |
| الطَّالِبَانِ | يَكْتُبَانِ | the two male/mixed students write |
| الطَّالِبَتَانِ | تَكْتُبَانِ | the two female students write |
| الطُّلَّابُ | يَكْتُبُونَ | the male/mixed students write |
| الطَّالِبَاتُ | يَكْتُبْنَ | the female students write |
Two jobs for تـ: تَكْتُبُ may mean “she writes” or “you (m.) write”. The explicit subject and context resolve the meaning.
Present Agreement Check
0/41. Complete: الطَّالِبَتَانِ ___ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.
Feminine dual subject first → تـ + ـانِ.
2. Complete: الطُّلَّابُ ___ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.
Human masculine/mixed plural → يدرسون.
3. Complete: الطَّالِبَاتُ ___ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ.
Third-person feminine plural present uses يـ + ـنَ.
4. Which is fully agreeing?
Human plural subject first requires plural verb.
4
Future agreement follows the present form
The future markers attach to or precede an already agreeing present-tense verb.
الطَّالِبُ سَيَكْتُبُ غَدًا.
→
Masculine singular.
الطَّالِبَةُ سَتَكْتُبُ غَدًا.
→
Feminine singular.
الطَّالِبَانِ سَيَكْتُبَانِ غَدًا.
→
Masculine/mixed dual.
الطَّالِبَتَانِ سَتَكْتُبَانِ غَدًا.
→
Feminine dual.
الطُّلَّابُ سَيَكْتُبُونَ غَدًا.
→
Human masculine/mixed plural.
الطَّالِبَاتُ سَيَكْتُبْنَ غَدًا.
→
Human feminine plural.
With سَوْفَ: keep the same agreeing present form: الطَّالِبَاتُ سَوْفَ يَكْتُبْنَ.
5
The essential exception: non-human plurals
A non-human plural is normally treated as feminine singular in agreement, even when it appears before the verb.
| Non-human plural subject | Correct verb | Complete model |
|---|---|---|
| الْحَافِلَاتُ | وَصَلَتْ | الْحَافِلَاتُ وَصَلَتْ مُبَكِّرًا. |
| الْكُتُبُ | وَصَلَتْ | الْكُتُبُ وَصَلَتْ أَمْسِ. |
| الْمَدَارِسُ | تَفْتَحُ | الْمَدَارِسُ تَفْتَحُ أَبْوَابَهَا صَبَاحًا. |
| السَّيَّارَاتُ | سَتَتَوَقَّفُ | السَّيَّارَاتُ سَتَتَوَقَّفُ هُنَا. |
Do not overapply full plural agreement: الْحَافِلَاتُ وَصَلْنَ treats buses as a human feminine group. The standard target is الْحَافِلَاتُ وَصَلَتْ.
Human or Non-Human?
0/41. Complete: الْمُعَلِّمَاتُ ___ الْفَصْلَ.
Human feminine plural → feminine plural verb.
2. Complete: السَّيَّارَاتُ ___ الْمَدِينَةَ.
Non-human plural → feminine singular.
3. Complete: الْأَطِبَّاءُ ___ فِي الْمُسْتَشْفَى.
Human masculine/mixed plural → plural agreement.
4. Complete: الْحَوَاسِيبُ ___ بِسُرْعَةٍ.
Non-human plural → feminine singular present.
6
Stretch: coordinated human subjects
When two named human subjects are placed first, treat the complete group as plural.
عَلِيٌّ وَأَحْمَدُ ذَهَبَا إِلَى السُّوقِ.
→
Two masculine singular people form a masculine dual group.
مَرْيَمُ وَلَيْلَى ذَهَبَتَا إِلَى السُّوقِ.
→
Two feminine singular people form a feminine dual group.
الطُّلَّابُ وَالطَّالِبَاتُ شَارَكُوا فِي الْمَشْرُوعِ.
→
A mixed human plural normally uses masculine plural agreement.
أَنَا وَأُخْتِي ذَهَبْنَا إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةِ.
→
A group including the speaker uses first-person plural.
Exam-safe strategy: For a complex coordinated subject, place the full subject first and use clear full agreement. This avoids the subtler agreement choices of verb-first coordination.
E
Misconception and proofreading clinic
Correct only the agreement signal that conflicts with the subject.
| Incorrect | Correct | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبَ الْوَاجِبَ. | الطُّلَّابُ كَتَبُوا الْوَاجِبَ. | Human plural subject first → plural verb. |
| الطَّالِبَاتُ يَكْتُبُونَ. | الطَّالِبَاتُ يَكْتُبْنَ. | Human feminine plural needs ـنَ. |
| الطَّالِبَتَانِ سَيَكْتُبَانِ. | الطَّالِبَتَانِ سَتَكْتُبَانِ. | Feminine dual present/future begins with تـ. |
| الْكُتُبُ وَصَلْنَ. | الْكُتُبُ وَصَلَتْ. | Non-human plural → feminine singular agreement. |
G
Grammar game
Match each subject-first noun phrase with the only verb form that agrees fully.
Agreement Mirror
Choose the verb that mirrors the subject-first noun phrase.
Press Start.
S
Skills workshop التَّطْبِيقُ الْعَمَلِيُّ
Transform profiles and reports from singular to dual and plural without losing agreement.
الطَّالِبُ قَدَّمَ عَرْضًا، وَالطَّالِبَانِ أَجَابَا عَنِ السُّؤَالَيْنِ.
→
Read: track how the verb changes when the subject changes.
الطَّالِبَاتُ سَيَكْتُبْنَ تَقْرِيرًا، أَمَّا الْحَوَاسِيبُ فَسَتَعْمَلُ بِسُرْعَةٍ.
→
Speak: contrast a human plural with a non-human plural.
Write a group progress report
Write 80–100 Arabic words describing what one person, two people and several groups did, do and will do in a school project.
Model: الطَّالِبَةُ جَمَعَتِ الْمَعْلُومَاتِ، وَالطَّالِبَانِ كَتَبَا التَّقْرِيرَ. الطَّالِبَاتُ يُرَاجِعْنَ النَّصَّ الآنَ، وَالصُّوَرُ سَتَظْهَرُ فِي الْعَرْضِ.
Success checklist: Use one masculine singular, one feminine singular, one dual, one human masculine/mixed plural, one human feminine plural and two non-human plural subjects. Keep every subject before its verb.
Paper route: Draw three columns—past, present and future. Place each subject in a row and write the fully agreeing verb beside it.
M
Final mastery check
Check full agreement and the non-human plural exception.
🏁 Final Mastery
0/101. Complete: الْبِنْتُ ___ الْبَابَ.
Feminine singular full agreement.
2. Complete: الْوَلَدَانِ ___ الْبَابَ.
Masculine dual subject first.
3. Complete: الْبِنْتَانِ ___ الْبَابَ.
Feminine dual subject first.
4. Complete: الْأَوْلَادُ ___ الْبَابَ.
Human masculine/mixed plural full agreement.
5. Complete: الْبَنَاتُ ___ الْبَابَ.
Human feminine plural full agreement.
6. Complete: الطَّالِبَتَانِ ___ الآنَ.
Feminine dual present begins with تـ.
7. Complete: الطَّالِبَاتُ ___ غَدًا.
Third-person feminine plural future retains يـ + ـنَ.
8. Complete: الْمَدَارِسُ ___ أَبْوَابَهَا.
Non-human plural → feminine singular present.
9. Complete: الْمُعَلِّمُونَ وَالْمُعَلِّمَاتُ ___ فِي الِاجْتِمَاعِ.
Mixed human plural → masculine plural agreement.
10. Core rule?
Remember the non-human plural exception.
What you can now do
- Apply full agreement after a singular, dual or human plural subject.
- Control past, present and future subject-first forms.
- Use feminine plural verbs accurately with human feminine groups.
- Apply feminine singular agreement to non-human plural subjects.
Spaced revisit: Return in two or three days and complete the final check again without looking at the tables.