English Language Arts
Grade 5
15 min
Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects
Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects
What you'll learn
- Identify instances of incorrect subject-verb agreement with compound subjects in complex sentences with 80% accuracy on a formative assessment.
- Correct errors in subject-verb agreement involving compound subjects joined by 'and,' 'or,' and 'nor' in a written paragraph, demonstrating mastery by achieving a score of 4 out of 5 on a rubric assessing grammatical accuracy.
- Explain the rules governing subject-verb agreement with compound subjects, including those using correlative conjunctions (e.g., neither/nor, either/or), in a written explanation containing at least three accurate and relevant details.
- Apply knowledge of subject-verb agreement with compound subjects to revise and edit a multi-paragraph argumentative essay, reducing grammatical errors related to subject-verb agreement by at least 75% as measured by a teacher-created checklist.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define correlative conjunctions and identify them in sentences.
Identify the two subjects that make up a compound subject joined by correlative conjunctions.
Explain and apply the 'Proximity Rule' for verb agreement with 'either/or' and 'neither/nor'.
Differentiate between singular and plural verbs needed for agreement.
Correct sentences that have incorrect verb agreement with compound subjects.
Construct their own grammatically correct sentences using correlative conjunctions and compound subjects.
If you and your friend are in charge of a project, who is the boss? 🤔 In grammar, when two subjects are in charge, the one closest to the verb is the boss!
Today, we will learn about special word pairs called correlative conjunc...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
SubjectThe person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something in a sentence.In 'The dog barks loudly,' the subject is 'dog'.
VerbA word that shows an action (like 'run') or a state of being (like 'is' or 'are').In 'She reads a book,' the verb is 'reads'.
Subject-Verb AgreementThe rule that a subject and its verb must match in number. A singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb.Correct: 'The cat sleeps.' (singular). Incorrect: 'The cat sleep.'
Compound SubjectTwo or more subjects that are joined by a conjunction and share the same verb.In 'The teacher and the students are here,' the compound subject is 'The teacher...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Proximity Rule (Closest Subject Rule)
When a compound subject is joined by 'either/or' or 'neither/nor', the verb must agree in number with the subject that is closer to it.
Use this rule to decide if the verb should be singular or plural. Look only at the subject that comes right before the verb.
The 'Not Only/But Also' Rule
When a compound subject is joined by 'not only/but also', the verb agrees with the subject that follows 'but also'.
This is another version of the Proximity Rule. The second subject, the one closer to the verb, is the one that matters for verb agreement.
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Challenging
Which sentence is constructed perfectly according to all the rules for correlative conjunctions and verb agreement?
A.Either the squeaky mouse or the noisy crickets are keeping me awake.
B.Not only the moon but also the stars is shining brightly tonight.
C.Either the paintings or the sculpture are going to win the prize.
D.Neither the principal nor the teachers is happy with the new schedule.
Challenging
The correct sentence is: 'Neither the students nor the teacher IS leaving.' Which of the following changes would make the verb ARE the correct choice?
A.Change 'teacher' to 'principal'.
B.Swap the subjects to say 'Neither the teacher nor the students...'
C.Change 'Neither/nor' to 'Not only/but also'.
D.Remove the word 'Neither' from the sentence.
Challenging
Your friend uses an incorrect 'Automatic Plural' rule, making the verb plural any time they see 'either/or'. Which specific sentence structure will they ALWAYS get wrong?
A.When both subjects are plural (e.g., dogs or cats).
B.When the first subject is singular and the second is plural (e.g., cat or dogs).
C.When the first subject is plural and the second is singular (e.g., dogs or cat).
D.When both subjects are singular (e.g., dog or cat).
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Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects is a Grade 5 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify and correct verb agreement with compound subjects?
You'll be able to: Identify instances of incorrect subject-verb agreement with compound subjects in complex sentences with 80% accuracy on a formative assessment; Correct errors in subject-verb agreement involving compound subjects joined by….
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This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.