Subject Verb Agreement Quiz
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Do you think you understand subject-verb agreement? Take this quiz and test your knowledge! When writing sentences, there must be a relationship between the subject and verbs. This rule means that if a subject is singular, the verb must be plural; the same case is applied to plurals, meaning the verb must be singular. But watch out - there are a few exceptions to the rule! Do you think you get it? Test yourself by taking the challenging subject-verb agreement quiz below. All the best, and keep practicing grammar!
Subject Verb Agreement Questions and Answers
- 1.
What would the correct choice be: "Everyone in class (needs/need) to study."?
- A.
Needs
- B.
Need
Correct Answer
A. NeedsExplanation
The subject of the sentence is "Everyone," which is singular, even though it refers to a group of people. In English, words like "everyone," "someone," and "anyone" are treated as singular subjects. Therefore, the correct verb form should be singular as well, which is "needs." The correct sentence is: "Everyone in class needs to study."Rate this question:
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- 2.
What would the correct choice be: "Each of the winners (receives/ receive) a scholarship and a trophy, every year."?
- A.
Receive
- B.
Receives
Correct Answer
B. ReceivesExplanation
The correct choice for the sentence "Each of the winners (receives/receive) a scholarship and a trophy, every year." is "receives." In English grammar, "each" is another example of an indefinite pronoun that, similar to "everyone," is always treated as singular. When you use "each" to refer to individuals within a group, it emphasizes their individuality within that group. Thus, any verb that follows should be in the singular form to agree with "each."Rate this question:
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- 3.
What would the correct choice be: "The football team (practices/practice) every day."?
- A.
Practices
- B.
Practice
Correct Answer
A. PracticesExplanation
In American English, collective nouns like "team," "group," "committee," and others are typically treated as singular entities. This means that when referring to these nouns, the verb forms also need to be singular to maintain subject-verb agreement. For the sentence provided, the correct choice in American English is "practices." This is because the football team is viewed as a single unit performing the action together. The grammatically correct sentence would be: "The football team practices every day."Rate this question:
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- 4.
What would the correct choice be: "Near the center of the campus (is/are) the counselor's office."?
- A.
Is
- B.
Are
Correct Answer
A. IsExplanation
For the sentence "Near the center of the campus (is/are) the counselor's office," the correct choice is "is." The term "the counselor's office" refers to a single office that belongs to a counselor. Therefore, it requires the singular verb form "is" to agree with the singular noun phrase. Thus, the correct sentence would be: - "Near the center of the campus is the counselor's office." This construction correctly matches the singular subject "the counselor's office" with the singular verb "is," indicating the location of one specific office on the campus.Rate this question:
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- 5.
The sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement is:
- A.
"The group of students are studying for their exams."
- B.
"Neither the teacher nor the student is attending the meeting."
- C.
"The dog and the cat was playing in the yard."
- D.
"Each of the books have a different cover."
Correct Answer
B. "Neither the teacher nor the student is attending the meeting."Explanation
In this sentence, the subject "Neither the teacher nor the student" is treated as singular, so the correct verb form is "is." The other sentences have subject-verb agreement errors:
"The group of students is studying for their exams." (Group is singular)
"The dog and the cat were playing in the yard." (Two subjects require a plural verb)
"Each of the books has a different cover." (Each is singular)Rate this question:
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- 6.
What would the correct choice be: "Anthony and DeShawn (is/ are) finished with the essay."?
- A.
Is
- B.
Are
Correct Answer
B. AreExplanation
The correct choice for the sentence "Anthony and DeShawn (is/are) finished with the essay." is "are." In this sentence, "Anthony and DeShawn" constitute a compound subject, consisting of two individuals joined by the conjunction "and." When subjects are combined with "and," they are treated as plural. Therefore, the plural verb "are" is needed to correctly agree with the subject. Here's the correct version: "Anthony and DeShawn are finished with the essay."Rate this question:
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- 7.
What would the correct choice be: "Twenty dollars _____ not a lot of money these days."?
- A.
Is
- B.
Are
Correct Answer
A. IsExplanation
The sentence should be: "Twenty dollars is not a lot of money these days." The reason for this is that "twenty dollars" is a singular amount, so it should be followed by the singular verb "is." Even though "dollars" is a plural noun, it's the amount of money that is being considered as a single unit in this context. Therefore, the verb should agree with the singular subject "twenty dollars."Rate this question:
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- 8.
What would the correct choice be: "Claudia, as well as Judy, (speaks/ speak) American Sign Language."?
- A.
Speaks
- B.
Speak
Correct Answer
A. SpeaksExplanation
In English, when we use phrases like “as well as”, “along with”, or “together with”, the verb agrees with the first subject. In this case, “Claudia” is the first subject and it is singular, so we use “speaks” instead of “speak”. If both Claudia and Judy were the subjects without the “as well as”, we would use “speak”. For example, “Claudia and Judy speak American Sign Language.”Rate this question:
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- 9.
What would the correct choice be: "There (is/ are) several reasons for Desiree’s happy expression today."?
- A.
Is
- B.
Are
Correct Answer
B. AreExplanation
The correct choice for the sentence "There (is/are) several reasons for Desiree’s happy expression today." is "are." In English grammar, when using the introductory "there is" or "there are," the verb should agree with the subject that follows it. In this case, the subject is "several reasons," which is plural. Therefore, the plural verb "are" is appropriate to use: "There are several reasons for Desiree’s happy expression today." This structure ensures proper subject-verb agreement, emphasizing the presence of multiple reasons behind Desiree's happiness.Rate this question:
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- 10.
What would the correct choice be: "He (has/ have) been my best friend since first grade."?
- A.
Has
- B.
Have
Correct Answer
A. HasExplanation
The correct choice for the sentence "He (has/have) been my best friend since first grade." is "has." In English, the verb "has" is used with singular third-person pronouns such as "he," "she," and "it." Therefore, the correct sentence is: - "He has been my best friend since first grade." This usage aligns with standard English grammar, where "has" is the correct auxiliary verb form for the present perfect tense when referring to a singular subject.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Some of the fruits in our local market (comes/ come) from Chile.
- A.
Comes
- B.
Come
Correct Answer
B. ComeExplanation
The correct verb is "come" because the subject of the sentence, "fruits," is plural. In English, plural subjects require plural verbs. Therefore, the sentence should read: "Some of the fruits in our local market come from Chile." "Comes" would be used for a singular subject like "fruit," but in this case, the subject is plural.Rate this question:
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- 12.
Some of the grapes in our local market (comes/ come) from Mexico.
- A.
Comes
- B.
Come
Correct Answer
B. ComeExplanation
The correct choice for the sentence "Some of the grapes in our local market (comes/come) from Mexico." is "come." In this case, "some" refers to a portion of a plural noun ("grapes"), and when "some" is used with a plural noun, the verb should also be plural. Therefore, the correct sentence is: - "Some of the grapes in our local market come from Mexico." This usage emphasizes that the action (coming from Mexico) is associated with a plural subject (grapes), thus requiring a plural verb form, "come."Rate this question:
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- 13.
Where _______ your grandmother and grandfather live?
- A.
Does
- B.
Do
Correct Answer
B. DoExplanation
The sentence "Where do your grandmother and grandfather live?" involves subject-verb agreement. The subject, "grandmother and grandfather," is a compound subject, and since it includes more than one person, it is considered plural. In English, plural subjects take plural verbs. Therefore, "do" is the correct plural form that agrees with the plural subject in this sentence.Rate this question:
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- 14.
Here (comes/come) the famous star from that movie.
- A.
Comes
- B.
Come
Correct Answer
A. ComesExplanation
The correct choice for the sentence "Here (comes/come) the famous star from that movie." is "comes." In this sentence, "the famous star from that movie" is a singular noun phrase, referring to one individual. Therefore, the singular verb form "comes" is appropriate: - "Here comes the famous star from that movie." This construction uses the singular verb "comes" to match the singular subject, emphasizing the arrival of a specific individual.Rate this question:
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- 15.
Mathematics (is/are) a required subject for a college degree.
- A.
Is
- B.
Are
Correct Answer
A. IsExplanation
"Is" is the correct choice because "mathematics" is treated as a singular noun in this context. Even though "mathematics" ends in "s" and might seem plural, it refers to a single field of study. Therefore, the correct sentence is "Mathematics is a required subject for a college degree." Using "is" agrees with the singular nature of the subject being discussed.Rate this question:
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Sep 25, 2024Quiz Edited by
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Nov 30, 2011Quiz Created by
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