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Subject And Verb Agreement – Quiz 1
Subject And Verb Agreement Quiz 1 (30 MCQs)
This multiple-choice question set evaluates the understanding of subject and verb agreement, including complex sentences, singular measurements, "none of," compound subjects, and third-person plural verbs. It also tests skills in identifying subjects, correct comma usage, and recognizing singular vs. plural agreement.
Quiz Instructions
Select an option to see the correct answer instantly.
1.
Choose the correct present tense verb that fills in the blank:Coach Mike nor his players ..... enough skill to win the championship.
A) Have.
B) Having.
C) Has.
D) Has been.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject "Coach Mike nor his players" is plural, so the verb must also be in its plural form. Therefore, "Have" (Option A) is correct because it agrees with the plural subject and indicates that both Coach Mike and his players possess enough skill to win the championship.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. Plural subject requires a plural verb.
Option B:
Incorrect. "Having" is a gerund, not a verb form that agrees with the subject.
Option C:
Incorrect. Singular "Has" does not agree with the plural subject.
Option D:
Incorrect. "Has been" is a passive form and does not fit the context of the sentence.
2.
What is a sign that a verb is SINGULAR?
A) There are no signs; you just have to know.
B) Singular verbs always end in S (with very few exceptions).
C) The ending punctuation will help tell you what kind of verb you need.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Singular verbs do not always end in S (with very few exceptions). This is a common misconception. Subject-verb agreement focuses on the number of the subject, not necessarily the ending of the verb. For example, "The cat sleeps" and "The cats sleep." In both sentences, the subjects are singular or plural, but the verbs agree with their respective subjects.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. There are indeed signs for singular verbs; they match in number with their subjects.
Option B:
Incorrect. Singular verbs do not always end in S (with very few exceptions).
Option C:
Incorrect. Ending punctuation does not indicate the form of a verb.
Option D:
Correct. None of the above options accurately describe how to identify singular verbs.
3.
My pants ..... in the drawer.
A) Is.
B) Are.
C) Was.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "My pants are in the drawer" uses a plural subject ("pants") with a plural verb form ("are"). This demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement, where both the subject and verb must agree in number (singular or plural).
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Is - Incorrect because "pants" is plural, requiring a plural verb.
Option B:
Are - Correct as it matches the plural subject "pants."
Option C:
Was - Incorrect for the same reason; requires a plural form to agree with "pants."
Option D:
None of above - Not applicable since Option B is correct.
4.
Which word best completes the sentence? We ..... a day at the beach.
A) Misses.
B) Enjoys.
C) Plans.
D) Spend.
Show Answer
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Misses - Incorrect. "Misses" does not fit grammatically with "a day at the beach."
Option B:
Enjoys - While "enjoy" is a valid verb, it typically requires an infinitive or gerund after it (e.g., "We enjoy going to the beach").
Option C:
Plans - Incorrect. "Plans" does not fit grammatically with "a day at the beach."
Option D:
Spend - Correct. "Spend" is appropriate and agrees with the plural subject "we."
5.
What is the subject of this sentence? My uncle teaches in California.
A) My.
B) My uncle teaches in.
C) My uncle.
D) My uncle teaches.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject of the sentence "My uncle teaches in California" is "My uncle." The subject is what the sentence is about, and it performs the action described by the verb. In this case, "teaches" is the action performed by "my uncle."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect as "My" is just a possessive adjective modifying "uncle." It does not perform the action.
Option B:
Incorrect as it includes both the subject and part of the verb phrase. The subject should be identified solely without any verb component.
Option C:
Correct as "My uncle" is the subject performing the action in the sentence.
Option D:
Incorrect as it includes only the verb, which is part of the predicate but not the subject.
6.
Write the correct form of the verb in parentheses to complete the sentence. Mr. Fode ..... his piano sometimes. (fix)
A) Fixes.
B) Fixs.
C) Fixies.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Mr. Fode..... his piano sometimes." requires a verb that agrees with the singular subject "Mr. Fode". The correct form is "Fixes" because it matches the singular subject and indicates a habitual action.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. "Fixes" is the third-person singular present tense of the verb "fix", agreeing with the singular subject "Mr. Fode".
Option B:
Incorrect. "Fixs" is not a correct form of the verb.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Fixies" is not a correct form of the verb.
Option D:
Incorrect. There is a correct answer among the options provided.
7.
After the curtains rise, someone on the special effects team activate a switch on the fog machine, releasing fake fog across the stage.
A) Activate.
B) Activates.
C) Activtes.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence describes an action performed by a subject (someone on the special effects team) and uses "activates" as the verb. Since the subject is singular ("someone"), the verb must also be in its third-person singular form, which is "activates." Therefore, option B is correct.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect - "Activate" is not in the third-person singular form.
Option B:
Correct - "Activates" matches the singular subject "someone."
Option C:
Incorrect - "Activtes" has a spelling error and does not match the verb form required for the sentence.
Option D:
Incorrect - There is a correct answer among the options provided.
8.
Choose the sentence in which the underlined verb is correct.
A) Has the doctors reached a diagnosis?.
B) Here are the missing files.
C) Many of the people believes that.
D) The swarm of bees are in that tree.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Option B is correct because it properly uses a plural subject ("files") with the plural verb form "are." The other options contain errors in subject-verb agreement: Option A should be "Have the doctors reached," Option C should be "Many people believe," and Option D should be "The swarm of bees is."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect; singular verb with plural subject.
Option B:
Correct; plural subject with plural verb.
Option C:
Incorrect; singular verb with plural subject.
Option D:
Incorrect; singular noun treated as plural with plural verb.
9.
Subject-verb-agreement rule 6 states:Each, either/neither and one of takes a singular verb. Choose the suitable verb form to complete the sentence.Either Jaime or Josh ..... to work every Sunday morning.
A) Go.
B) Goes.
C) Goses.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Either Jaime or Josh goes to work every Sunday morning" follows the rule that "either/neither and one of take a singular verb." Since only one subject (Jaime or Josh) is performing the action, the verb should be in its singular form.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Go. Incorrect; requires plural verb.
Option B:
Goes. Correct; follows singular verb rule for "either/neither."
Option C:
Goses. Incorrect; not a valid English word.
Option D:
None of above. Incorrect; option B is correct.
10.
Neither Alex nor his brothers ..... (to be) going to the party now.
A) Are.
B) Be.
C) Was.
D) Is.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Neither Alex nor his brothers ..... (to be) going to the party now" uses a subject-verb agreement rule where the verb should agree with the singular subject "Alex." Since "neither...nor" constructions treat the first subject as the singular focus, the verb must also be in its singular form. Therefore, "Is" is the correct choice.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Are - Incorrect because it does not agree with the singular subject.
Option B:
Be - Incorrect as a verb form; should be specific (is or are).
Option C:
Was - Incorrect for the same reason as "Are"; also past tense, doesn't fit context.
Option D:
Is - Correct because it agrees with the singular subject "Alex."
11.
Which is the subject of the sentence? One day's work for a farmer today equals about a week's effort for our grandparents.
A) Day's.
B) Work.
C) Farmer.
D) Grandparents.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject of the sentence is "One day's work for a farmer today". In this case, "work" is part of the subject and not just a noun by itself. The phrase "One day's work" functions as the subject complement to describe what one day's work equals.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Day's - Incorrect. Part of the subject but not the main subject.
Option B:
Work - Correct. Main part of the subject phrase.
Option C:
Farmer - Incorrect. The farmer is the agent performing the action, not the subject itself.
Option D:
Grandparents - Incorrect. They are mentioned in comparison but not the main subject.
12.
Yesterday I walked the dog, I read for English class afterwards.
A) Fragment.
B) Sentence.
C) Run-on.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Yesterday I walked the dog, I read for English class afterwards." is a run-on sentence because it joins two independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunctions. A fragment would lack a subject or verb, and this sentence has both parts with subjects and verbs. It does not fit the definition of none of the above since C) Run-on is correct.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Fragment - Incorrect because each part of the sentence contains a subject and a verb.
Option B:
Sentence - Correct in structure but incorrectly joined, making it a run-on.
Option C:
Run-on - Correct. The sentence joins two independent clauses without proper punctuation or conjunctions.
Option D:
None of above - Incorrect because Option C is correct.
13.
The pebbles on the path ..... slippery.
A) Were.
B) Was.
C) Is.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "The pebbles on the path were slippery." uses a plural subject ("pebbles") and thus requires a plural verb form ("were"). This correctly follows the rule of subject-verb agreement, where the number (singular or plural) of the subject must match the corresponding verb.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. "Were" is the plural form agreeing with the plural subject "pebbles."
Option B:
Incorrect. "Was" is singular and does not agree with the plural subject.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Is" is singular and does not agree with the plural subject.
Option D:
Incorrect. There is a correct answer among the options provided.
14.
Complete the present tense verb rule. Add the letter ..... to most verbs if the subject is singular.
A) D.
B) S.
C) P.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
Adding the letter "S" to most verbs when the subject is singular in English is a common rule for forming the present tense. This applies to verbs that do not end in 's' already, such as "walk," which becomes "walks." Verbs like "runs" and "swims" are exceptions since they already end in 's.'
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. Adding "D" is not a rule for most singular subjects.
Option B:
Correct. Adding "S" to most verbs when the subject is singular forms the present tense correctly, except for some irregular verbs like "goes," "eats," etc.
Option C:
Incorrect. Adding "P" does not follow English grammar rules for forming the present tense.
Option D:
Incorrect. There is a correct answer among the options provided.
15.
Fill in the blank with the present tense form of the verb.To cook:Spaghetti and meatballs ..... on the stove.
A) Cooks.
B) Is cooking.
C) Cooked.
D) Cook.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Spaghetti and meatballs ... on the stove" is in present continuous tense, which requires a form of "be + verb + -ing". The subject "spaghetti and meatballs" is treated as plural, so we use "is cooking".
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. "Cooks" is the simple present tense.
Option B:
Correct. "Is cooking" is the correct form of present continuous tense for plural subjects.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Cooked" is the past tense.
Option D:
Incorrect. "Cook" is the base form and does not fit the context of ongoing action on the stove.
16.
Two hundred miles ..... a long way.
A) Is.
B) Were.
C) Are.
D) Am.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Two hundred miles is a long way" uses the singular verb "is" because "two hundred miles" is treated as a single unit of measurement, thus requiring a singular verb form for subject-verb agreement.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. "Is" agrees with the singular noun phrase "two hundred miles."
Option B:
Incorrect. "Were" is plural and does not agree with "two hundred miles."
Option C:
Incorrect. "Are" is plural and does not agree with "two hundred miles."
Option D:
Incorrect. "Am" is singular but used incorrectly for the subject "two hundred miles."
17.
Everybody ..... about the weather.
A) Are talking.
B) Talks.
C) Were talking.
D) Talk.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Everybody talks about the weather." uses a singular subject ("everybody") with a plural verb form ("talks"). This is an example of a collective noun treated as singular, but the action (verb) applies to each individual in the group. Therefore, the correct answer is
B) Talks.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
"Are talking" - Incorrect because it uses a plural verb with a singular subject.
Option B:
"Talks" - Correct as it matches the singular subject "everybody."
Option C:
"Were talking" - Incorrect for both tense and number agreement issues.
Option D:
"Talk" - Incorrect because it lacks the necessary verb form to match the sentence structure.
18.
Either James or the workers in the store believe that under the steps sit a lost puppy cowering in fear and yelping for our attention.
A) Sit.
B) Cowering.
C) Yelping.
D) Believe.
E) No error.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Either James or the workers in the store believe that under the steps sit a lost puppy cowering in fear and yelping for our attention" contains an error related to subject-verb agreement. The subject "Either James or the workers" is plural, so the verb should also be plural ("believe"). However, the sentence incorrectly uses the singular form of the verb "sit." Therefore, Option A) Sit is correct because it identifies the error in subject-verb agreement.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. Identifies the error in subject-verb agreement.
Option B:
Incorrect. Describes a verb form used correctly.
Option C:
Incorrect. Describes an adjective used correctly.
Option D:
Incorrect. Describes a verb form used incorrectly but not the error in subject-verb agreement.
Option E:
Incorrect. No errors identified, which is incorrect given the sentence structure.
19.
The teacher was adamant when he said that each of the students in the room are responsible for the damaged equipment.
A) Was adamant.
B) He said.
C) No error.
D) Are.
E) Damaged.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject "each of the students" is singular, so it requires a singular verb form. The correct verb here is "is," not "are." Option D ("Are") is therefore incorrect because it does not match the singular subject-verb agreement rule.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Was adamant. Irrelevant to subject-verb agreement.
Option B:
He said. Irrelevant to subject-verb agreement.
Option C:
No error. Incorrect, as "are" does not agree with the singular subject.
Option D:
Are. Incorrect; should be "is" for singular subject agreement.
Option E:
Damaged. Irrelevant to subject-verb agreement.
20.
What is the mistake? :Only once have there been more excitement in this city about a sporting event.
A) Sporting.
B) Been.
C) Have.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Only once have there been more excitement in this city about a sporting event." has an issue with subject-verb agreement. The subject "there" is singular, but the verb "have been" is plural. To correct it, we should use "has been" instead of "have been".
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect; "sporting" does not affect the agreement.
Option B:
Incorrect; "been" is part of the correct verb form but needs to agree with a singular subject.
Option C:
Correct; "have" should be "has" to match the singular subject "there".
Option D:
Incorrect; there is a mistake identified in option C.
21.
Which verb would complete the sentence and agree with the subject? Neither the trumpet players nor the drummer ..... our school.
A) Have visited.
B) Has visited.
C) Are visited.
D) Were visiting.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Neither the trumpet players nor the drummer has visited our school" uses a subject-verb agreement rule where the singular subject "the drummer" is placed before the plural subject "the trumpet players." In such cases, the verb agrees with the nearest subject, which in this instance is singular. Therefore, the correct form of the verb should be singular: "has visited."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect because "have" is plural and does not agree with the singular subject.
Option B:
Correct as "has" agrees with the nearest singular subject, "the drummer."
Option C:
Incorrect because "are visited" is passive voice and does not match the active structure of the sentence.
Option D:
Incorrect because "were visiting" indicates past continuous tense, which does not fit the context of a completed action in this sentence.
22.
A good medicine ..... bitter.
A) Tasty.
B) Taste.
C) Frets.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "A good medicine ... bitter" is a general statement about the nature of medicines, which often require a bitter taste to be effective. The verb in this context should agree with the subject "medicine," which is singular. Therefore, the correct form would be "is." However, none of the given options match this form.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Tasty - Incorrect; does not agree with the subject.
Option B:
Taste - Incorrect; does not agree with the subject.
Option C:
Frets - Incorrect; does not agree with the subject and is unrelated to the context.
Option D:
None of above - Correct; all other options are incorrect.
23.
Choose the verb form that agrees with the subject, "Tim and Moby."
A) Was saying.
B) Says.
C) Said.
D) Has said.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject "Tim and Moby" is a compound subject, which means it consists of two singular nouns joined by "and." Compound subjects take a plural verb form. Therefore, the correct answer should be in the third-person plural form.
Option C) Said is incorrect because it uses the past tense, which does not match the present tense context implied by the options.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Was saying - Incorrect; this is a past continuous form and does not agree with the subject.
Option B:
Says - Correct; it is in the third-person plural present tense, agreeing with "Tim and Moby."
Option C:
Said - Incorrect; this is in the simple past tense and does not match the context of a present action.
Option D:
Has said - Incorrect; this is the present perfect form and does not agree with "Tim and Moby."
24.
Try contacting the information technology department about the faulty app. Everybody in that department have access to the resources needed to fix the problem
A) Has.
B) Had.
C) Haved.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Everybody in that department have access to the resources needed to fix the problem" is incorrect because it should use a singular verb form with the singular subject "everybody." The correct form would be "Everybody has."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct. "Has" agrees with the singular subject "everybody."
Option B:
Incorrect. "Had" is in the past tense and does not agree with the subject.
Option C:
Incorrect. "Haved" is not a standard English verb form.
Option D:
Incorrect. At least one option (A) is correct.
25.
Write the correct form of the verb in parentheses to complete the sentence. Griffin ..... before the big game. (stretch)
A) Stretchs.
B) Stretches.
C) Stretchies.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject "Griffin" is singular, so the verb must also be in its third-person singular form, which is "stretches." This follows the rule that a singular subject requires a singular verb.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect. The verb should not end with an 's' as Griffin is already singular.
Option B:
Correct. "Stretches" is the correct form for a singular subject in third-person.
Option C:
Incorrect. This option does not make sense grammatically or orthographically.
Option D:
Incorrect. There is a correct answer among the options provided.
26.
Amanda looked in many places for her keys, but, she never found them. In this sentence, how is keys, but,
A) Keys but, she.
B) Keys, but she.
C) Keys but she.
D) As it is.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Amanda looked in many places for her keys, but, she never found them." requires the correct placement of commas and subject-verb agreement. The phrase "but, she" is unnecessary and disrupts the flow of the sentence. The correct form should be "Amanda looked in many places for her keys, but she never found them." This maintains proper subject-verb agreement with "she."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Incorrect due to misplaced comma and unnecessary pronoun.
Option B:
Correct as it properly uses a comma before the coordinating conjunction and omits the redundant pronoun.
Option C:
Incorrect for the same reasons as Option A.
Option D:
Incorrect because the original sentence is not grammatically correct.
27.
Choose the sentence that has correct subject-verb agreement:
A) Either my sister or I am going shopping for Dad today.
B) Either my sister or I is going shopping for Dad today.
C) Either my sister or I are going shopping for Dad today.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The subject "Either my sister or I" is a compound subject, and the verb should agree with the singular part of the subject. In this case, "I" is the singular part, so the verb "am going" is correct.
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct - Subject-verb agreement is proper.
Option B:
Incorrect - Singular subject requires a singular verb form.
Option C:
Incorrect - Singular subject requires a singular verb form.
Option D:
Incorrect - Option A is correct.
28.
Five hundred rupees notes ..... found lying on the road yesterday.
A) Were.
B) Is.
C) Was.
D) Are.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "Five hundred rupees notes..... found lying on the road yesterday" is in plural form, indicating that more than one note was found. Therefore, the verb should also be in plural form to agree with the subject. The correct verb form is "were."
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Correct - "Were" agrees with the plural subject "notes."
Option B:
Incorrect - "Is" is singular and does not agree.
Option C:
Incorrect - "Was" is singular and does not agree.
Option D:
Incorrect - "Are" would be used for a plural subject that refers to people or things treated as a group, which is not the case here.
29.
Rule 9 states:Some of, all of, most of and none of can be used with either singular or plural verbs.None of = plural form (means not any or suggests more than one thing or person)None of = singular form (when it means no one or not one)Choose the appropriate verb form. None of those restaurants ..... mouth-watering ceviche. They all have terrible ratings."
A) Serves.
B) Serve.
C) Serving.
D) None of above.
Show Answer
Explanations:
The sentence "None of those restaurants serve mouth-watering ceviche." uses the plural verb form "serve" because "none of" in this context refers to more than one restaurant, suggesting a plural subject. The rule states that "none of" can be used with either singular or plural verbs depending on the meaning; here it means not any of several items (plural).
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Serves - Incorrect as it uses a singular verb for a plural subject.
Option B:
Serve - Correct, matches the plural subject "restaurants."
Option C:
Serving - Incorrect, this is a gerund form and not a verb form to use here.
Option D:
None of above. - Incorrect as Option B is correct.
30.
Which of the following is a good way to tell if a subject is plural?
A) It ends in "-ing".
B) It ends in "s".
C) It doesn't end in "s".
D) It ends with a silent "e".
Show Answer
Explanations:
Option B is correct because in English, most plural nouns end with the letter "s". This rule applies to common nouns like "books" or "cars".
Option Analysis:
Option A:
Verbs ending in "-ing" indicate present participle form, not plurality.
Option B:
Correct. Most plural nouns end with "s".
Option C:
Incorrect. Many plural nouns do end with "s", so this is not a reliable indicator of singularity.
Option D:
Silent "e" at the end does not indicate plurality; it's often used in words like "love" or "hope".
Frequently Asked Questions
What is subject-verb agreement?
Subject-verb agreement refers to the matching of a sentence's subject with its verb in terms of number (singular or plural). This ensures that the subject and verb agree in form, typically by having both be singular or both be plural.
How does subject-verb agreement work in complex sentences?
In complex sentences, the main verb agrees with the main subject. However, if there are additional subjects or clauses that modify the main subject, they do not affect the agreement of the main verb with its subject.
Can you explain how to handle singular measurements in subject-verb agreement?
When dealing with singular measurements, such as "a mile" or "two miles," the verb should agree with the measurement's singular form. For example, "A mile is a long distance." However, if you use a plural noun to describe the measurement, then the verb will be plural: "Miles are measured in kilometers."
What should I do with sentences using "none of"?
When you have a sentence starting with "none of," the verb agreement depends on what follows. If "of" is followed by a plural noun, use a plural verb: "None of the books are available." If it's followed by a singular noun, use a singular verb: "None of the book is missing."
How do I apply subject-verb agreement to compound subjects?
For compound subjects joined by "and," use a plural verb. For example, "John and Mary are going to the park." If they are joined by "or" or "nor," the verb agrees with the subject that is closer to it: "Either John or Mary is coming to the party."