7.10.D.iv

ELA7th Gradeedit drafts using standard English conventions, including:

The Standard

prepositions and prepositional phrases and their influence on subject-verb agreement

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading · Composition: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts

Teacher's field guide

What This Standard Means

What Students Need to Do

Students identify the true subject when a prepositional phrase appears before the verb. They edit the verb so it agrees with that subject, not a nearby noun.

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can locate the subject even when a prepositional phrase separates it from the verb. They choose the correct verb form and explain why the nearby noun does not control agreement.

Common Misconceptions

Students often match the verb to the nearest noun instead of the sentence subject. They may also mistake the object of a preposition for the subject.

How to Assess It

Give students this sentence: “The box of old photographs belong in the closet.” Ask them to bracket the prepositional phrase, underline the subject, and correct the verb.

Lesson moves

Ways to Teach It

  1. Give pairs sentence strips, then have them remove prepositional phrases and match each remaining subject with the correct verb card.

  2. Ask students to explain why “The basket of apples sits on the table” uses “sits” rather than “sit.”

  3. Play Agreement Detective, where teams bracket prepositional phrases and correct subject-verb errors in ten projected sentences.

  4. Have students edit subject-verb agreement in sample announcements, menus, or sports reports that include prepositional phrases.

Keep exploring

Related Standards

Turn this exact standard into a lesson

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.

Chat About This StandardGenerate Aligned Lesson