Students can improve their grammar skills by identifying and rewriting sentences that misuse "was" and "were."

The task involves correcting sentences that contain errors in the use of the verbs "was" and "were." The key to solving these problems is understanding the subject-verb agreement rules:

- "Was" is used with singular subjects.
- "Were" is used with plural subjects.

Let's go through each sentence step by step:

---

1. Mille were expected to join us today.

- Error: "Mille" is a singular subject, but "were" is plural.
- Correction: Replace "were" with "was."
- Correct Sentence: Mille was expected to join us today.

---

2. The ice storm were devastating to the small town.

- Error: "The ice storm" is a singular subject, but "were" is plural.
- Correction: Replace "were" with "was."
- Correct Sentence: The ice storm was devastating to the small town.

---

3. The fruit were in a bowl on the counter.

- Error: "The fruit" is considered singular when referring to a type or kind of fruit (e.g., apples, oranges). However, if it refers to multiple pieces of fruit, it could be plural. Here, it seems to refer to a single collection or type of fruit.
- Correction: Replace "were" with "was."
- Correct Sentence: The fruit was in a bowl on the counter.

---

4. The dog were eating a rawhide bone.

- Error: "The dog" is a singular subject, but "were" is plural.
- Correction: Replace "were" with "was."
- Correct Sentence: The dog was eating a rawhide bone.

---

5. The packages was addressed to the wrong people.

- Error: "The packages" is a plural subject, but "was" is singular.
- Correction: Replace "was" with "were."
- Correct Sentence: The packages were addressed to the wrong people.

---

6. The tissues not as soft as I like tissues to be.

- Error: This sentence is missing a verb. It should use "were" since "tissues" is plural.
- Correction: Add "were" before "not."
- Correct Sentence: The tissues were not as soft as I like tissues to be.

---

7. Those kids was making noise all night.

- Error: "Those kids" is a plural subject, but "was" is singular.
- Correction: Replace "was" with "were."
- Correct Sentence: Those kids were making noise all night.

---

8. That series were really well done.

- Error: "That series" is a singular subject, but "were" is plural.
- Correction: Replace "were" with "was."
- Correct Sentence: That series was really well done.

---

Final Corrected Sentences:

1. Mille was expected to join us today.
2. The ice storm was devastating to the small town.
3. The fruit was in a bowl on the counter.
4. The dog was eating a rawhide bone.
5. The packages were addressed to the wrong people.
6. The tissues were not as soft as I like tissues to be.
7. Those kids were making noise all night.
8. That series was really well done.

---

Explanation:

The main focus is identifying whether the subject is singular or plural and ensuring that the verb agrees with it. Singular subjects require "was," while plural subjects require "were." Pay attention to collective nouns (like "fruit") and ensure they are treated correctly based on context.

Final Answer:
\boxed{
\begin{aligned}
1. & \text{ Mille was expected to join us today.} \\
2. & \text{ The ice storm was devastating to the small town.} \\
3. & \text{ The fruit was in a bowl on the counter.} \\
4. & \text{ The dog was eating a rawhide bone.} \\
5. & \text{ The packages were addressed to the wrong people.} \\
6. & \text{ The tissues were not as soft as I like tissues to be.} \\
7. & \text{ Those kids were making noise all night.} \\
8. & \text{ That series was really well done.}
\end{aligned}
}