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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.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: Language 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 Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, 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: Maine Department of Education

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 birds _____ south every fall.

    • flying
    • fly
    • is flying
    • flies

  2. Question 2

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    The box of crayons _____ on the top shelf.

    • are
    • were
    • is
    • be

  3. Question 3

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    They _____ ready for the class trip.

    • are
    • am
    • was
    • is

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence has correct subject–verb agreement?

    • The girls in my class was playing soccer at recess.
    • The girls in my class plays soccer at recess.
    • The girls in my class is playing soccer at recess.
    • The girls in my class play soccer at recess.

  5. Question 5

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

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

    • having
    • has
    • is having
    • have

  6. Question 6

    Which verb correctly completes the sentence?

    Each of the players _____ a water bottle.

    • having
    • are having
    • has
    • have

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