Compound Subjects

About This Worksheet

This Grade 7 Language Arts worksheet helps students choose verbs for compound subjects joined by and. When two people, places, things, or ideas work together as the subject, the verb is usually plural. Students complete sentences about neighbors, weather, school staff, food, musicians, supplies, and teams. For example, “The school counselor and the principal are organizing the career fair” uses the plural verb are because two people share the action.

Learning Goals

The main goal is to help students recognize when two subjects combine to form one plural subject. Students should already know how to identify the main subject and verb in a simple sentence. This activity moves them toward checking both parts of a compound subject before selecting the verb. It supports CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1, which focuses on correct grammar and subject-verb agreement.

Student Tasks

On this worksheet, students will read ten sentences containing compound subjects joined by and. They will write the correct present-tense or helping verb on each blank. The examples include people, objects, weather conditions, foods, and school materials. Students must make sure the verb agrees with the entire compound subject rather than only with the noun closest to the blank.

Common Challenges

Some students may choose a singular verb because the second noun is singular. Others may overlook the word and and treat the subject as one item. Certain pairs, such as peanut butter and jelly, may sound like one familiar combination, which can make agreement less obvious. Encourage students to replace the full subject with they and listen for the verb that naturally follows.

Teaching Suggestions

A teacher can underline both subjects and circle the word and before asking students to choose a verb. Reading the shortened sentence with they often makes the correct form easy to hear. At home, a parent can name two people or objects and ask the child to create a sentence about what they do together. This helps students connect the rule to normal conversation.

Worksheet Features

The worksheet includes ten sentence completions built around compound subjects. Its examples vary from simple noun pairs to longer subjects containing possessive words and descriptions. The open blanks require students to supply the verb rather than recognize it from answer choices. This page works well for guided practice, homework, review, or a quick agreement check.