English: Tuesday, January 29, Handouts: * Grammar #51 (Agreement with Compound Subjects) 2.Homework: * Grammar #51 (Agreement with Compound Subjects) [If you don’t finish in class, it is homework. ] * Study for Grammar Test #8 on Friday, Feb. 1 Test covers Subject-Verb Agreement Study Lessons #48, #49, #50, #51 * Bring your flash drive to English every day. 3.Assignments due: * Grammar #50 (Locating the Subject)

Lesson Goal: Learn verb agreement with compound subjects. Outcomes: Be able to... 1.Distinguish between the subject of the sentence and the object of a preposition. 2.Identify the subject of the sentence in sentences that have prepositional phrases. 3.Identify the subject of the sentence in sentences that start with words like “here” or “there.” 4.Apply a re-arranging words trick to identify the subject of each sentence. 5.Make the subject and verb agree in any given sentence.

Starter #1 Take out your comp book. Turn to the first blank page. In the upper right hand corner, write the following: Tues., Jan. 29, 2013 QW #47: A Better Relationship If you could change one relationship you have and make it better, what is the one relationship you would want to improve? Name the person you have in mind, explain how the relationship could be better, then describe some steps you could take that might improve your relationship. Remember to write in complete sentences, avoiding fragments and run-ons. If you are not sure how to spell a certain word, just sound it out and circle it.

Starter #2 How many of you think it’s easy to find the subject in a sentence? Today we are going to look at two tricky types of sentences that throw off even adults. Case #1 Sometimes a prepositional phrase comes between the subject and the verb. Here’s where it gets dicey: Which word is the subject that must agree w/ the verb? The rooms near the entrance have new windows. It’s like saying... The rooms have new windows. (Pretend the prep phrase doesn’t exist.) The air in the mountains contains little oxygen. It’s like saying... The air contains little oxygen. (Pretend the prep phrase doesn’t exist.) In both of the above sentences, people get confused. They look at the object of the prep phrase because that noun is closest to the subject. Does that noun have to agree with the verb? NO, because the object of the preposition is NOT the subject of the sentence.

Starter #3 Two other types of sentences that fool people are sentences that begin with the words “here” or “there.” The words “here” and “there,” however are NEVER the subject of a sentence. So what is the subject and how do you find it? Case #2 Watch out for sentences that start with the words “here” or “there.” The subject will be located after the verb. You can easily identify the subject by re-arranging the sentence order. Move the subject so it appears before the verb. How? There are many palm trees in Florida. How would we re-arrange the words to find the subject easily? Many palm trees are there in Florida. Here in the city is a large building. How would we re-arrange the words to find the subject easily? A large building is here in the city.

Starter #4 I’m going to place a term on the screen. If it’s new to you, guess what it means, based on what you do know. Compound Subject A compound subject is two more subjects that share the same verb. There’s one culprit that makes compound subjects tricky. Look at the word that joins the two subjects. Here’s why.... Rule #1 When a compound subjects is joined by the word and, the subject is always plural. So the verb must also be plural to agree with it. [Think “1 and 1 is 2—plural”] Examples: William and Sandy live on the same block. William and Sandy live on the same block. [They live on the same block.] Both trees and flowers require sunlight. Both trees and flowers require sunlight. [They require sunlight.] Elaine and her brothers play in the band. Elaine and her brothers play in the band. [They play in the band.]

Starter #5 Here comes the tricky rule.... Rule #2 When a compound subject is joined by the word or [as in either... or, neither... nor], the verb must agree with the subject that is closest to the verb. Examples: Dana or Maria knows the answer. Maria knows the answer. Either Dana or his study partners know the answer. His study partners know the answer. Neither the fifth graders nor Dana knows the answer. Dana knows the answer.