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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 4 of 12

Agreement

Subjects, verbs and pronouns match

What your child practices

Making verbs agree with their subjects (even with tricky phrases, “each,” “everyone” and “either…or”) and choosing pronouns that clearly match the nouns they replace.

Alaska content standards learning standard: L.6.1 · subject-verb and pronoun agreement

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Find the real subject. Ignore phrases in between: “The box of crayons is…”
  2. Each, everyone and somebody are singular: “Everyone is ready.”
  3. With either…or, the verb agrees with the closer subject. Pronouns must match the nouns they replace.

Example: “The box of markers ___ on the shelf.” is or are? The subject is “box,” not “markers.” One box takes a singular verb. Answer: is

Agreement in Alaska

In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 4 of 12 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Make Your Case and before Sentence Repair.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    The students in Mr. Diaz's class _____ a spelling test today.

    • having
    • is having
    • have
    • has
  2. Question 2

    Which sentence uses pronouns correctly?

    • The team members packed its gear after the game.
    • The team members packed their gear after the game.
    • The team members packed there gear after the game.
    • The team members packed they're gear after the game.
  3. Question 3

    Which pronoun correctly completes the sentence?

    The geese flew south because _____ needed warmer weather.

    • it
    • them
    • they
    • its
  4. Question 4

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    One of my friends _____ a pet snake.

    • having
    • has
    • are having
    • have
  5. Question 5

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    My sister _____ the piano every day.

    • practicing
    • practice
    • practices
    • are practicing
  6. Question 6

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    Each of the players _____ a water bottle.

    • has
    • are having
    • have
    • having