main:
    li   $t0, 1

    sb   $t0, v1  # will succeed because no alignment needed
    sh   $t0, v1  # will fail because v1 is not 2-byte aligned
    sw   $t0, v1  # will fail because v1 is not 4-byte aligned

    sh   $t0, v2  # will succeeed because v2 is 2-byte aligned
    sw   $t0, v2  # will fail because v2 is not 4-byte aligned

    sh   $t0, v3  # will succeeed because v3 is 2-byte aligned
    sw   $t0, v3  # will fail because v3 is not 4-byte aligned

    sh   $t0, v4  # will succeeed because v4 is 2-byte aligned
    sw   $t0, v4  # will succeeed because v4 is 4-byte aligned

    sw   $t0, v5  # will succeeed because v5 is 4-byte aligned

    sw   $t0, v6  # will succeeed because v6 is 4-byte aligned

    li   $v0, 0
    jr   $ra   # return

    .data
    # data will be aligned on a 4-byte boundary
    # most likely on at least a 128-byte boundary
    # but safer to just add a .align directive
    .align 2
    .space 1
v1: .space 1
v2: .space 4
v3: .space 2
v4: .space 4
    .space 1
    .align 2 # ensure e is on a 4 (2**2) byte boundary
v5: .space 4
    .space 1
v6: .word 0  # word directive aligns on 4 byte boundary