Name:___________________________________________
Mid-term Grade 8 Study Guide
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject – who or what is doing the action in a sentence
Verb – action or state of being (walk, jump, is, are)
In the sentence: The man walked the dog.
Man and dog are both nouns, but the man is the subject because he is doing the action of walking.
Singular Subject – 1 (person, item, group)
Plural Subject - +2 (people, items, groups)
Steps for Subject-Verb Agreement
1) Cross out all prepositional phrases.
2) Underline the subject and label it singular or plural.
3) Circle the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. (Trick - If it is s (singular) on top, s on the verb.)
Practice 1 = Difference (create, creates) tension.
Practice 2 = The tomatoes in my garden (grows, grow) quickly.
Read the paragraph. Find the error.
Practice 3 (1) Calcium is important for growing strong bones and teeth. (2)Every animal requires calcium for its health.
(3) Calcium are also used for many other purposes. (4)As far back as Ancient Egyptian times, historians tell us of the use
of calcium as a building material.
Which sentence in the paragraph contains an error in subject/verb agreement?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
Practice 4 (1) In nature, this important element is always found as a compound such as calcium carbonate and calcium
fluoride. (2) Lack of calcium can be a serious problem. (3) Calcium-deficient bones are brittle and break easily. (4) Older
people, especially older women, frequently gets osteoporosis.
Which sentence in the paragraph contains an error in subject/verb agreement?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
Practice 5 (1) Osteoporosis is a condition of calcium deficiency in bones. (2)In Canada, one in four women over the age
of fifty suffer from osteoporosis. (3) A person can break a bone doing simple daily activities like walking, hugging or
coughing. (4) Each osteoporosis sufferer needs to eat foods high in calcium daily.
Which sentence in the paragraph contains an error in subject/verb agreement?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
Practice 6 (1) Milk, tofu and spinach are high in calcium. (2)Exercises help prevent osteoporosis. (3) Another group in
need of calcium is children who are growing. (4) They need calcium to help their bones and teeth grows strong.
Which sentence in the paragraph contains an error in subject/verb agreement?
A. sentence 1
B. sentence 2
C. sentence 3
D. sentence 4
Fill in the blanks: The object of this exercise is to match the word with the definition provided.
Word Bank
alliteration
mood
climax
foreshadowing
personification
setting
flashback
simile
hyperbole
imagery
metaphor
symbol
theme
tone
7._________________________ is a literary device that allows writers to show their audience specific events
that happened before the current action of the story.
8._________________________ is how the writer feels about his subject that comes through based upon the
types of words chosen.
9._________________________ is how the reader feels about the story.
10.________________________ is an abstraction that represents the central idea/message of the story.
11.________________________ is a strong exaggeration.
12.________________________ is the most exciting part of a story where all of the main conflict comes
together(turning point).
13._________________________ is when the author hints at actions that will come in the future.
14._________________________ is the time and place of a story.
15._________________________ is a comparison of two different things to make them more alike.
16._________________________ is when authors give human traits to animals or some other lifeless object.
17._________________________ is a writer’s vivid description that help readers visualize.
18._________________________ is a concrete or physical object that represents an abstract concept.
19._________________________ is when a series of words in a row (or close to a row) have the same first
consonant sound.
20._________________________ is when a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two
different things with the help of the words “like” or “as”.
Directions: Match the example with one of the literary terms above.
Word Bank
alliteration
foreshadowing
flashback
metaphor
personification
setting
hyperbole
simile
imagery
irony
symbol
theme
21._______________________________ John is as slow as a snail.
22._______________________________ The house stared angrily at its new occupants.
23._______________________________ A flag represents freedom.
24._______________________________ Identity, Coming of Age
25._______________________________ Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the turn of the century
26._______________________________ “Gentlemen! You can’t fight in here. This is the war room.”
27._______________________________ Ponyboy explains to Cherry about Johnny’s previous attack by the
Socs at the vacant lot.
28._______________________________ “I’ve told you a million times.”
29._______________________________ Please put your pen away and play the piano.
30._______________________________ My friend is a fierce tiger at soccer.
31_______________________________ In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke sees his own face under Vader’s
mask when he was on Dagobah. Later, he finds out Vader is his father.
32._______________________________“And I saw the flash of a white throat, and a double row of white
teeth, and eyes of metallic grey, hard and narrow and slit.”
Other Key Terms to Know
Slang: covering the words, phrases, and idioms that reflect the least formal speech of a language
Inference: the act or process of inferring
Hyperbole: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
Thesis: A clear and logical statement. It states the point you want to make.
Stanza: A group of lines meant to be read as a unit.
Madam and the Rent Man
By Langston Hughes
The rent man knocked.
He said, Howdy-do?
I said, What
Can I do for you?
He said, You know
Your rent is due.
I said, Listen,
Before I'd pay
I'd go to Hades
And rot away!
The sink is broke,
The water don't run,
And you ain't done a thing
You promised to've done.
Back window's cracked,
Kitchen floor squeaks,
There's rats in the cellar,
And the attic leaks.
He said, Madam,
It's not up to me.
I'm just the agent,
Don't you see?
I said, Naturally,
You pass the buck.
If it's money you want
You're out of luck.
He said, Madam,
I ain't pleased!
I said, Neither am I.
So we agrees!
"Madam and the Rent Man" Questions for Analyzing Poetry
(from The Elements of Writing About Literature and Film by Elizabeth Mc Mahan, Robert Funk and Susan Day. Longman Publishing, 1998)
33. Paraphrase the poem.
34. Infer - What do you think is the message of "Madam and the Rent Man"?
35. Who is the speaker (persona) in the poem? How would you describe this persona?
36. What is the speaker’s tone? Which words reveal this tone? Is the poem ironic?
37. What images does the poet use? How do the images relate to one another?
38. What figures of speech are used? How do they contribute to the tone and meaning of the poem?
39. What is the theme (the central idea) of this poem? State it in a single sentence.
40. How important is the role of sound effects, such as rhyme and rhythm?
How do they affect tone and meaning?
How important is the contribution of form, such as rhyme scheme and line arrangement?
How does form influence the overall effect of the poem?