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Compound Subjects and Subject-Verb Agreement — Grade 5

Grade 5 worksheet practicing subject-verb agreement with compound subjects joined by and, or, and nor, including sentences with intervening phrases.

When a sentence has more than one subject, the verb needs to match the whole compound subject — not just the nearest noun. This worksheet gives Grade 5 students focused practice with three patterns: subjects joined by and, subjects joined by or and nor, and compound subjects that have a phrase sitting between them and the verb. Each section adds a layer of challenge, moving from recognizing the compound subject in a printed sentence, to choosing the right verb form, to correcting errors in full sentences, and finally to writing an original sentence. Compound subject agreement is one of the trickier spots in Grade 5 writing, and getting it right helps students produce cleaner drafts and stronger paragraphs.

Compound Subjects and Subject-Verb Agreement — Grade 5

Work through each part carefully. Read every sentence before you answer, and remember to apply the compound subject rules from the rule box.

Remember

  • Joining two subjects with and always makes a plural subject, so the verb is plural: 'Dev and Zoe play chess.'
  • With or or nor, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it: 'Either the dog or the cats are outside.' Here cats is nearer, so are is correct.
  • A phrase that comes between a compound subject and its verb does not change the rule. 'The globe and the map on the shelf show the route.'

Part A — Find the Compound Subject and Verb

Circle the complete compound subject and underline the verb that agrees with it in each sentence.

  1. 1.

    Amir and his lab partner present their science project on Thursday.

  2. 2.

    Neither the coach nor the players arrive late to practice.

  3. 3.

    The painted rocks and the clay pot on the windowsill sit facing the garden.

  4. 4.

    Either the teacher or the students choose the classroom theme each month.

  5. 5.

    Neither the old map nor the new globes show that tiny island clearly.

Part B — Choose the Correct Verb

Choose the verb form that correctly completes each sentence.

  1. 6.

    Either the laptop or the tablets ____ ready for the math lesson.

    1. a)are
    2. b)is
    3. c)was
  2. 7.

    Neither Fatima nor her twin brothers ____ the new school rule.

    1. a)know
    2. b)knows
    3. c)is knowing
  3. 8.

    The red pen and the blue marker ____ on top of the writing desk.

    1. a)sit
    2. b)sits
    3. c)is sitting
  4. 9.

    Either the principal or Mr. Osei ____ the morning announcements.

    1. a)reads
    2. b)read
    3. c)are reading
  5. 10.

    Neither the science chart nor the posters in the hallway ____ the data clearly.

    1. a)shows
    2. b)show
    3. c)is showing

Part C — Fix the Sentence

Each sentence has one subject-verb agreement error. Rewrite the whole sentence correctly on the line.

  1. 11.

    Bella and her cousin has swimming lessons every Saturday morning.

  2. 12.

    Either the bus driver or the students decides where to stop on the field trip.

  3. 13.

    Neither the wind nor the heavy rain were a problem for our science fair tent.

  4. 14.

    The colored pencils and the eraser in my pencil case needs to be sharpened.

Part D — Write Your Own Sentence

Write one original sentence using a compound subject joined by or or nor, making the verb agree with the closer subject.

  1. 15.

    Write a sentence about school or science using a compound subject joined by or or nor. Make sure the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Answer key

Part A — Find the Compound Subject and Verb

  1. 1.Amir and his lab partner, present
  2. 2.Neither the coach nor the players, arrive
  3. 3.The painted rocks and the clay pot, sit
  4. 4.Either the teacher or the students, choose
  5. 5.Neither the old map nor the new globes, show

Part B — Choose the Correct Verb

  1. 6.are
  2. 7.know
  3. 8.sit
  4. 9.reads
  5. 10.show

Part C — Fix the Sentence

  1. 11.Bella and her cousin have swimming lessons every Saturday morning.
  2. 12.Either the bus driver or the students decide where to stop on the field trip.
  3. 13.Neither the wind nor the heavy rain was a problem for our science fair tent.
  4. 14.The colored pencils and the eraser in my pencil case need to be sharpened.

Part D — Write Your Own Sentence

  1. 15.Example: Neither the classroom windows nor the door lets in enough light for reading.

What this worksheet teaches

  • Identify the complete compound subject and the verb it controls in a printed sentence.
  • Choose the correct verb form for compound subjects joined by and, or, and nor.
  • Write an original sentence using a compound subject joined by or or nor with correct verb agreement.

What is on the page

Part B — Choose the Correct Verb prints “Either the laptop or the tablets ____ ready for the math lesson.” with the options “are”, “is” and “was”; the key gives “are”.

In Part C — Fix the Sentence, “Bella and her cousin has swimming lessons every Saturday morning.” is corrected in the key to “Bella and her cousin have swimming lessons every Saturday morning.”

The language it drills

“Amir and his lab partner present their science project on Thursday.” carries three answers: “Amir”, “his lab partner” and “present”.

Notes for the grown-up

  • Students often make the verb agree with the nearest noun in a modifier phrase rather than the true compound subject — watch for this error first.
  • To correct or/nor mistakes, ask the student to cover the first subject and read only the closer subject with the verb aloud.
  • A student is ready to move on when they can explain in their own words why a verb is singular or plural, not just select the right option.

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All grade 5 worksheets →All subject-verb agreement worksheets →

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