Mid-term Grade 8 Study Guide, 5.0
Name:
Period:
Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject – who or what is doing the “verbing” in a sentence
Verb – action or state of being (walk, jump, is, are)
In the sentence: The man walks the dog.
Man and dog are both nouns, but the man is the subject because he is doing the walking.
Singular Subject – 1 (person, item, group)
Plural Subject – 2+ (people, items, groups)
Steps for Subject-Verb Agreement
1) Take out all intervening phrases and clauses (anything between subject & verb.)
2) Underline the subject and label it singular or plural.
3) Circle the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. (Trick - If subject is singular, verb must end in -s.)
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: Make each statement true by writing the correct literary term in the blank.
Alliteration
Mood
Climax
Personification
Foreshadowing
Flashback
Setting
Simile
Hyperbole
Symbol
Imagery
Metaphor
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 writer’s attitude toward his or her subject as indicated by diction
(word choices), the use of certain literary devices, and genre.
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 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, place, and sometimes culture of a story.
15._________________________ is a comparison of two different things to make them seem similar.
16._________________________ is when authors give human traits to animals or some other lifeless object.
17._________________________ is a writer’s vivid description that appeals to a reader’s senses.
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) repeat their first
consonant sound.
20._________________________ is a figure of speech that makes a comparison between different things with
the help of the words “like” or “as”.
Directions: Identify the literary device used in the example below.
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._______________________________ The American flag represents freedom.
24._______________________________ Identity, Coming of Age, Good vs. Evil
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: the words, phrases, and idioms that reflect the least formal speech of a language
Inference: the act or process of inferring, or using logical clues to put together meaning that isn’t directly stated
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 in poetry meant to be read as a unit; similar to a paragraph in prose.
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?