Activities

1. Given prepared sentences, identify singular and plural subject-verb agreement.
   
   
2. Highlight pronoun-antecedent agreement. Draw an arrow to visually connect pronoun-antecedent.

3. Create a T-chart to display two different compound subject-verb agreement rules.
   
   
4. Given prepared sentences, with pronoun errors, modify and correct for pronoun-antecedent agreement.

5. Given prepared sentences with prepositional phrases, analyze subject-verb agreement when separated by phrases.  Determine if the subject and predicate agree, and correct errors as needed.
   
   
6. Given an informative/explanatory topic, construct sentences demonstrating pronoun-antecedent agreement.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Given prepared sentences, student identifies the simple subject of each sentence by asking, “Who or what is the sentence is about?”  The student understands the simple subject is the noun or a pronoun that is doing something or being talked about.  Student underlines the simple subject once and recognizes if the simple subject is singular or plural.  The student identifies the simple predicate by asking, “What word(s) express what the simple subject is doing?” Or, to find a state of being verb, the student asks, “What word(s) express that the simple subject exists?” The student understands the predicate expresses what the subject does or states the subject exists.  The student identifies the simple predicate as the main verb, and knows the main verb can be an action verb, state of being verb or a linking verb.  Student underlines the predicate twice and recognizes if the simple predicate is singular or plural.  Student correctly verifies if a singular subject agrees with a singular predicate.  Student correctly verifies if a plural subject agrees with a plural predicate.  For example:

• Students walk in the hallways. (plural subject-plural action verb agreement)
• The student takes notes. (singular subject-singular action verb agreement)
• Trisha is a friendly girl. (singular subject-singular state of being agreement)
• The turkey smells delicious. (singular subject-singular linking verb agreement)

2. Student correctly identifies pronoun-antecedent agreement.  Student highlights pronoun and antecedent, and then, draws an arrow to visually show the connection between the correct pronoun and the antecedent.  For example, science project in the science fair.  Student understands the antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to or replaces.  Student understands pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender and person.  Student recognizes a singular pronoun refers to a singular antecedent.  (Caroline is hopeful she will win the contest.) Student recognizes a plural pronoun refers to a plural antecedent.  (Many students hoped they would win the contest.) Student knows masculine pronouns (he, him, his) refers to a masculine antecedent.  Student knows feminine pronouns (she, her, hers) refer to feminine antecedents.  Student knows neuter pronouns (it, its) refer to antecedents such as animals and objects.  (The dog’s collar is attached to its leash.)  Student also understands when the singular form is needed for both genders; the correct pronoun is his or her.  (i.e. Each student was asked to turn in his or her project by Friday).
   
   
3. Create a T-chart to display two different compound subject-verb agreement rules.  Given compound subject sentences, the student compares two types of compound subject sentences to correctly determine the need for singular or plural verb agreement. The student understands a compound subject is made up of two or more simple subjects joined by a conjunction such as and, or, or nor. The student completes the chart by writing compound subjects in either the “And” column or the “Or” or “Nor” column. The student understands a compound subject connected with “and” agrees with a plural verb.  The student understands a compound subject connected with “or” or “nor” agrees with the subject closest to the verb.  For example:

4. Given prepared sentences with some errors in pronoun-antecedent agreement, student corrects errors to demonstrate understanding of pronoun-antecedent agreement.  Student analyzes highlighted pronouns and antecedents and determines if the pronouns and antecedents agree.  If there are errors, student correctly modifies sentence to demonstrate understanding of pronoun antecedent agreement.  For example, Michael entered his science project in the science fair.  Student understands the antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to or replaces.  Student understands pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender and person.  Student recognizes a singular pronoun refers to a singular antecedent.  (Caroline is hopeful she will win the contest.) Student recognizes a plural pronoun refers to a plural antecedent.  (Many students hoped they would win the contest.) Student knows masculine pronouns (he, him, his) refers to a masculine antecedent.  Student knows feminine pronouns (she, her, hers) refer to feminine antecedents.  Student knows neuter pronouns (it, its) refer to antecedents such as animals and objects.  (The dog’s collar is attached to its leash.)  Student also understands when the singular form is needed for both genders, use his or her. (ie., Each student was asked to turn in his or her project by Friday.)  Student understands how to correct errors as needed.  For example:

• Crystal enteredits science project in the science fair.  (Its does not agree with the feminine antecedent, Crystal.  Its needs to be modified to her to demonstrate correct gender pronoun-antecedent agreement.)
• Every student must turn in a written report with their project. (Their does not agree with the singular antecedent, student.   Their needs to be modified to his or her to demonstrate correct number pronoun-antecedent.)

5. Given prepared sentences, the student knows how to analyze sentences if subject-verb agreement is separated by prepositional phrases.  Student determines if the subject and predicate agree, and corrects sentences as needed.  Student recognizes a variety of prepositional phrases such as “in the yard,” “over the fence,” and “behind the garage.”  Student can identify simple subject and simple predicate.  Student knows the subject of a verb is never part of a prepositional phrase.  Student understands the simple subject is the main noun or pronoun the sentence is about.  Student understands the simple predicate is the main verb which expresses the action or states the subject exists with the use of a state of being verb or a linking verb.  The student understands the simple subject needs to agree with the simple predicate.  The student understands how to mentally “cross out” prepositional phrases between the simple subject and the simple predicate.  Student knows how to verify verb agreement between the simple subject and simple predicate.  For example, the student “crosses out” prepositional phrases to verify subject verb agreement:

• The girl with the blond hairranaround the corner.  “with the blond hair” and “around the corner” are prepositional phrases and are not part of the simple subject or the simple predicate.  The simple subject girl agrees with the simple predicateran.
• The boys in uniform was on their way to baseball practice.  “in uniform,” “on their way” and “to baseball practice” are prepositional phrases and are not part of the simple subject or the simple predicate.  The plural subjectboys does not agree with singular predicate was, so in this sentence, the subject does not agree with the predicate.  The sentence needs to be correctly written boys-were to ensure subject-verb agreement.

6. Given an informative/Explanatory topic, the student constructs sentences to demonstrate correct construction of sentences with pronoun-antecedent agreement.  Student understands the antecedent is the noun or pronoun that a pronoun refers to or replaces.  Student understands pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number, gender and person.  Student recognizes singular pronoun refers to a singular antecedent.  (Caroline is hopeful she will win the contest.) Student recognizes a plural pronoun refers to a plural antecedent.  (Many students hoped they would win the contest.) Student knows masculine pronouns (he, him, his) refers to a masculine antecedent.  Student knows feminine pronouns (she, her, hers) refer to feminine antecedents.  Student knows neuter pronouns (it, its) refer to antecedents such as animals and objects.  (The dog’s collar is attached to its leash.)  Student also understands when the singular form is needed for both genders, use his or her. (Each student was asked to turn in his or her project by Friday.)  For example, student writes a sentences free from pronoun-antecedent errors, about refugees fleeing their homeland:

Due to civil war in Iraq, as many as 500,000 homes and tried to escape to nearby Syria.  As a militant group swarmed the city, each .