Name
Date
Phrases Between Subject and Verb
.
Reteaching
The subject of a verb is never part of a prepositional phrase,. an appositive phrase,
or a participial phrase. Such phrases may separate the subject from the verb.
Remember that the number of the subject does not change. To find the subject,
look at the words before the phrase. Make sure the verb agrees with the subject.
Prepositional Phrases
A hive of lively bees is noisy. (singular subject and verb)
The bees in a hive communicate with each other. (plural subject and verb)
Appositive Phrase
A bee’s body movements, a dance-like maneuver, give other bees information about the
location of pollen. (plural subject and verb)
Participial Phrase
The bee, working slowly, completes its task. (singular subject and verb)
A. Identifying Subjects and Verbs
Underline the subject and verb in each sentence. On the line, identify whether the
subject and verb are Singular or Plural.
EXAMPLE
The bee, as well as other insects, is useful to humans
SI4gLI/ar
1. Monarch butterflies, a member of the milkweed butterfly family,
have an average wingspan of four inches.
2. A dragonfly whose wings are outstretched is resting.
3. A ladybug, also called a ladybird beetle, eats many harmful insects.
4 Butterflies in their caterpillar stage are a source of food for birds
and lizards.
5. The number of wings differs between flies and bees.
6. Boll weevils, a type of beetle, destroy many cotton cropsyearly.
7. Hordes of hungry grasshoppers strip any foliage in their path.
8. An army of tiny ants marches toward the picnic basket.
B. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
Draw a line through, any phrase that separates the subject from the verb. Underline
the verb that agrees with the subject.
1. Twenty members of the marching band (has, have) arrived for practice.
D
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2. The students, along with their art teacher, (is, are) going to the exhIbition.
3. Jennifer-as well as-many other tourists, (waits, wait) to kiss the Blarney Stone.
4. Peter Pan, one of James Barrie’s characters, (runs, run) away to Neverland.
5. The sale of compact discs (has, have) risen at this store in the past year.
“
6. The decisions of the judge (comes, come) as no surprise.
7. Dark nimbus clouds in the summer sky often (foretells, foretell) a
thunderstorm.
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Date
Name
Phrases Between Subject and Verb
More Practice
A. Making Subjects and Verbs Agree
Underline the verb that agrees with the subject.
1. Insects in North Am&ica (includes, include) more than 100,000 species.
2. Stiletto-like mouthparts of the female mosquito (pierces, pierce) the victim’s skin.
3. The millipede, or “insect with a thousand legs:’ actually (moves, ?nove) on
fewer than a hundred.
4. Wasps from the underground nest (is, are) swarming around the grill.
5. Worker fire ants (attacks, attack) poultry.
6. Caves around the world (holds, hold) many insects.
7. Borers, such as the carpenter ant, (causes, cause) great damage to
wooden structures.
8. Insects of all types (àutnumbers, outnumber) all other animals combined.
9. A Goliath beetle, one of the largest insects, (grows, grow) to four inches in length.
10. The lifespan of most insects (is, are) about a year.
B. Correcting Agreement in Number
In each of these sentences, decide whether the verb agrees with the subject in
number. If it does, write Correct on the line. If it does not, cross out the incorrect
verb and write the correct form of the verb on the line.
1. The distinctive wing pattern of Monarch butterflies identify them.
2. Spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks, is different types of Arachnids.
3. Many types of vegetables depend on insect pollination.
4. Ladybugs, one kind of beetle, devours many harmful insects.
5. Maria, along with other campers, were bitten by mosquitoes.
6. The mouthpart of certain insects define their method of eating.
7. Often, moths in the woodlands blends into their surroundings.
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8. Tropical jungles, as well as the polar region, contains many
species of insects.
9. Honey from different hives tastes slightly different.
10. At night, lights on the patio attracts insects.
CFor use with Pupil’s Editipn pp. 158—15
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Name
Date
I Phrases Between Subject and Verb
Application
A. Correcting Agreement in Number
Locate the subject and verb of each numbered sentence. If there is an agreement
error, write the subject and the correct form of the verb on the lines below. If the
subject and verb agree, write Correct.
(1) The term insect community, insects living together each with a defined
job, usually signify ants and bees to most people. Termites form another such
group. (2) Members with different jobs, such as royals, workers, and soldiers,
works together for a smoothly-running society. (3) Workers, the greatest
number in the community, do all the labor. Soldiers defend the group, and
royals reproduce to keep it growing. (4) The nest of millions of termites
consist of individual chambers, sometimes reaching mounds 20 feet high.
(5) Raw materials, such as wood, is used to form the nest. Termites are found
around the world. (6) Warmer regions in Africa and South America contains
the largest communities.
V
1.
V
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
B. Using Correct Subject-Verb Agreement
Write a paragraph using at least six sentences. Begin three of the sentences with
any three of the following phrases. Throughout the paragraph, underline the subject
and verb of each sentence. Make sure that each verb agrees in number with its
subject.
V
A rainbow of gorgeous colors
Products such as honey
An essential part of ecosystems
Common pests in our country
The size of insects
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use with PupiIs Edition pp. 158—159)
Date
Name
Other Problem Subjects
Reteaching
.
Sometimes the number of a subject can be hard to determine. To decide whether a
subject takes a singular or plural verb, you sometimes need to decide whether the
subject refers to a unit or to an ihdividual. Here are some types of subjects that
require special attention.
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A collective noun refers to a group of people or things. Examples include team,
family, committee, jury, herd, class, staff, and majority. When the members of the
group act together, the collective noun takes a singular verb. When the members.
act as individuals, the collective noun takes a plural verb.
The committee meets weekly. (acting as one)
The committee are straggling into the office one at a time. (acting separately)
Some nouns ending in —s appear to be plural but are considered to be singular
in meaning. Use singular verbs with these subjects. Examples include news,
measles, mumps, civics, mathematics, ph’sics, and molasses.
Do you believe that bad news travels st?
Some nouns ending in -ics such as politics, can be either singuJar or plural,
depending on the context.
Politics is a rough activity. The politics of getting re-elected are complicated.
Titles of works of art, literature, film, or music are considered singular. Similarly,
words and phrases that refer to weights, measures, numbers, and lengths of time
are usually treated as singular.
The Reivers, by William Faulkner, shows the author’s humorous side.
Two thousand dollars buys a minute of commercial time on that.program.
Two hours on an airplane is all I can take.
Using Verbs That Agree with Problem Subjects
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In each sentence, underline the subject and the form of the verb that agrees with it.
1. The jury in this case (has, have) different opinions about a verdict.
2. My family (is, are) planning to spend its vacation in Canada.
3. The Student Activities Committee (reports, report) to the principal.
4. Mathematics, the favorite subject of some students, (has, have) many divisions.
5. Five pounds of potatoes (costs, cost) only a dollar during the sale.
.6. The cast (is, are) discussing their roles in the upcoming play.
7. Porgy and Bess (is, are) the next production of the local theater group.
8. Mumps (is, are) generally considered a disease of childhood.
9. The crew of. the airline (is, are) departing for Hawaii at noon.
10. “Quiet Nights” (was, were) a popular instrumental record during her school days.
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11. Pediatrics (has, have) been selected as his area of specialization.
12. Two teaspoons of salt (seems, seem) like an unhealthy amount for this dish.
13. His business ethics (seems, seem) sharply different from mine.
14. The election news (was, were) on the front page of the paper.
15. Your pliers (is, are) on the workbench.
CF0r use with Pupirs Edition pp. 164)
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