Why does a phrase between the subject and the verb cause so much trouble?

Because the nearest noun wins by instinct and it is the wrong one. In the box of colored pencils sits on the shelf, the ear wants pencils. Crossing out of colored pencils leaves box, and box sits.

Is there a fast way to check an answer?

Read the sentence with the middle phrase removed. If it still sounds right, the verb agrees. If it does not, the student matched the wrong noun.

5th grade subject-verb agreement

5th grade subject-verb agreement worksheets

By 5th grade the subject is rarely next to its verb. A prepositional phrase, a collective noun, or an indefinite pronoun sits in between, and the job is to find the true subject before matching anything. Fifth graders cross out the phrase, name the subject, and write the verb that agrees with it.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.5.1.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of sentences you'll fix

Write the form of the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. Use the present tense unless the sentence says it already happened.

Here (come) the last group from the science wing.
Fixed: Here comes the last group from the science wing.
When it arrived last week, the set of instructions (be) missing its second page.
Neither the coach nor the managers (tape) the bats.

Every print pulls a new set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 5th grade sheet

5th grade sheets draw from 73 sentences, 8 to a page. 5th to 7th grade print from the same 73 sentences. What changes is the standard (L.5.1 here) and the teaching notes below. None of these sentences are on 4th grade sheets.

A few of the sentences, as the answer key corrects them:

The team of debaters travels to Newton on Saturday.
When we checked them last Tuesday, the results of the third trial were surprising.
Last Monday, most of the samples in the north bed were too wet to weigh.

Fix it. Write the form of the verb in parentheses that agrees with the subject. Use the present tense unless the sentence says it already happened. 8 sentences to fix per page.
Choose the word. Circle the letter of the verb that agrees with the subject. 10 questions per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Give your student one move: bracket every prepositional phrase before reading the sentence again. The box of colored pencils sits becomes the box sits, and the answer is obvious. Almost every fifth grade agreement error disappears when the phrase is out of the way, so make the bracketing a habit before teaching anything else.

Watch for: The s moves: singular nouns usually have no s while their verb does (the dog barks), and plural nouns have the s while their verb doesn't (the dogs bark). Words between the subject and the verb don't change the match. In 'The box of crayons was full', the subject is box, not crayons.

Common questions about 5th grade subject-verb agreement

Why does a phrase between the subject and the verb cause so much trouble?: Because the nearest noun wins by instinct and it is the wrong one. In the box of colored pencils sits on the shelf, the ear wants pencils. Crossing out of colored pencils leaves box, and box sits.
Is there a fast way to check an answer?: Read the sentence with the middle phrase removed. If it still sounds right, the verb agrees. If it does not, the student matched the wrong noun.

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Aligned to Common Core L.5.1. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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