About This Worksheet
This Grade 7 Language Arts worksheet helps students use the closest-subject rule with compound subjects joined by or or nor. In these sentences, the verb usually agrees with the subject nearest to it. Students must look carefully at the final noun before the verb rather than treating both subjects as automatically plural. For example, “Neither the principal nor the counselors are attending” uses are because counselors is the closest subject.
Learning Goals
The main goal is to help students apply agreement rules to sentences with either…or and neither…nor. Students should already understand the difference between singular and plural subjects. This activity moves them toward identifying which subject controls the verb when the sentence presents alternatives. It supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1 through accurate subject-verb agreement in more complex sentence patterns.
Student Tasks
On this worksheet, students will complete ten sentences by choosing the verb that agrees with the nearer subject. The examples pair teachers with students, players with coaches, experiments with projects, relatives with siblings, and singular nouns with plural groups. Students should circle or note the closest subject before writing the verb. Their final sentence must sound natural and follow the agreement rule.
Common Challenges
Some students may assume every subject joined by or or nor takes a plural verb. Others may match the verb with the first subject instead of the one nearest the blank. Long noun phrases can also hide which word actually controls agreement. Encourage students to cover the first part of the subject and read only the closest noun with the possible verb.
Teaching Suggestions
A teacher can draw an arrow from the verb blank back to the nearest subject. Students can use that visual routine until the rule becomes automatic. At home, a parent can read the ending of each sentence alone, such as “the passengers are aware,” to check whether the agreement sounds correct. This keeps attention on the part of the sentence that matters most.
Worksheet Features
The worksheet includes ten sentences using both either…or and neither…nor. The subjects vary in order, so students must decide whether the nearest noun is singular or plural each time. Short verb choices keep the focus on agreement rather than vocabulary. This page works well for direct instruction, independent practice, homework, or test preparation.