Tense Consistency, Active Vs. Passive Voice, & Subject-Verb Agreement

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| By Mrs_Stowe

Mrs_Stowe

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Quizzes Created: 3 | Total Attempts: 3,134

Questions: 26 | Attempts: 526 | Updated: Mar 22, 2023

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1.

Determine whether the tense is consistent or inconsistent: When we go to the movies, we bought some popcorn.
- A.
  
  Consistent
- B.
  
  Inconsistent
Correct Answer
B. Inconsistent

Explanation
It is inconsistent because "go" is present tense and "bought" is past tense. Revise so that they're both present or both past.

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2.

Determine whether the tense is consistent or inconsistent: I pick up the telephone receiver quickly, but the line is still dead.
- A.
  
  Consistent
- B.
  
  Inconsistent
Correct Answer
A. Consistent

Explanation
It's consistent because both "pick" and "is" = present tense.

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3.

Determine whether the tense is consistent or inconsistent: Lightning struck our house, and I run straight for cover.
- A.
  
  Consistent
- B.
  
  Inconsistent
Correct Answer
B. Inconsistent

Explanation
It's inconsistent because "struck" is past tense and "run" is present tense. "Run" should be changed to "ran" so that it's consistent with "struck."

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4.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: The pilot instructed us on proper flight procedures.
- A.
  
  Active
- B.
  
  Passive
Correct Answer
A. Active

Explanation
The action "instructed" is done by the subject "pilot."

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5.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: Brenda was elected to the student council.
- A.
  
  Active
- B.
  
  Passive
Correct Answer
B. Passive

Explanation
The action "was elected" is being done to the subject "Brenda."

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6.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: Many of the yearbook photos were taken by Adrienne.
- A.
  
  Active
- B.
  
  Passive
Correct Answer
B. Passive

Explanation
The action "were taken" is being done to the subject "Many."

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7.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: The new animation software creates vivid images.
- A.
  
  Active
- B.
  
  Passive
Correct Answer
A. Active

Explanation
The action "creates" is being done by the subject "software."

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8.

A person is writing in the _____ voice if the action is done by the subject.

Correct Answer
active

Explanation
In the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action. This means that the person who is writing is also the one who is performing the action of writing. The active voice is often used to make sentences more direct and clear.

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9.

A person is writing in the ______ voice if the action is done to the subject.

Correct Answer
Passive

Explanation
Passive voice is used when the subject of a sentence is being acted upon. In this case, if the action is done to the subject, it indicates that the person is writing in the passive voice. In passive voice sentences, the subject is often the receiver of the action rather than the doer.

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10.

Subject-Verb agreement means that if a subject is singular, the verb must also be singular and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
The statement accurately describes the concept of subject-verb agreement, which states that the verb must agree in number with the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb should also be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb should also be plural. Therefore, the answer "True" is correct.

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11.

Most plural nouns end in "s."
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
Most plural nouns in English are formed by adding an "s" at the end of the singular noun. This is a common rule in the English language. For example, the singular noun "cat" becomes the plural noun "cats" by adding an "s" at the end. Therefore, it is correct to say that most plural nouns end in "s".

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12.

Most plural action verbs end in "s."
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
Remember, when thinking plural, verbs are the opposite of nouns.

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13.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A tidal wave, despite its name, (is, are) not caused by the tides.

Correct Answer
is

Explanation
Subject "wave" is singular; verb "is" is singular.

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14.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Earthquakes beneath the sea (causes, cause) most tidal waves.

Correct Answer
cause

Explanation
Subject "Earthquakes" is plural; verb "cause" is plural.

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15.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A network of warning signals (alert, alerts) people in coastal areas of an approaching tidal wave.

Correct Answer
alerts

Explanation
Subject "network" is singular; verb "alerts" is singular.

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16.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. The scientific name for tidal waves (are, is) tsunamis.

Correct Answer
is

Explanation
Subject "name" is singular; verb "is" is singular.

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17.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Each of the Jackson brothers (study, studies) dance.

Correct Answer
studies

Explanation
Subject "each" (indefinite pronoun) is singular; verb "studies" is singular.

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18.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Nobody in our family (speak, speaks) Greek well, but we all can speak a little bit.

Correct Answer
speaks

Explanation
Subject "Nobody" (indefinite pronoun) is singular; verb "speaks" is singular.

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19.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. All of the fruit (is, are) ripe.

Correct Answer
is

Explanation
"All" is singular because it refers to the singular word "fruit." "Is" is a singular verb.

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20.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. All of the pears (is, are) ripe.

Correct Answer
are

Explanation
"All" is plural because it refers to the plural word "pears." "Are" is a plural verb.

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21.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Our dog and cat can (get, gets) baths in the summer.

Correct Answer
get

Explanation
Subject joined by "and" usually take a plural verb.

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22.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A chief geologist or her assistant (is, are) due to arrive tonight.

Correct Answer
is

Explanation
Singular subjects joined by "or" or "nor" take a singular verb. --- Either one is due, not both.

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23.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A book or flowers usually (make, makes) an appropriate gift.

Correct Answer
make

Explanation
When a singular subject and a plural subject are joined by "or" or "nor", the verb agrees with the subject nearer the verb.

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24.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. The class (has, have) decided to have a science fair in November.

Correct Answer
has

Explanation
Collective nouns typically take a singular verb when the noun refers to the group as a unit. --- The class as a unit has decided.)

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25.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Marble Falls (is, are) a city in central Texas.

Correct Answer
is

Explanation
Even when plural in form, the title of a creative work (book, song, film, painting), the name of an organization, or the name of a country or city generally takes a singular verb.

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26.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. World Tales (is, are) a collection of folk tales retold by Idries Shah.

Correct Answer
is

Explanation
Even when plural in form, the title of a creative work (book, song, film, painting, etc.), the name of an organization, or the name of a country or city generally takes a singular verb.

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Current Version
Mar 22, 2023

Quiz Edited by
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Feb 08, 2012

Quiz Created by
Mrs_Stowe

Tense Consistency, Active Vs. Passive Voice, & Subject-Verb Agreement

Determine whether the tense is consistent or inconsistent: When we go to the movies, we bought some popcorn.

Determine whether the tense is consistent or inconsistent: I pick up the telephone receiver quickly, but the line is still dead.

Determine whether the tense is consistent or inconsistent: Lightning struck our house, and I run straight for cover.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: The pilot instructed us on proper flight procedures.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: Brenda was elected to the student council.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: Many of the yearbook photos were taken by Adrienne.

Determine whether the following sentence is written in Active or Passive Voice: The new animation software creates vivid images.

A person is writing in the _____ voice if the action is done by the subject.

A person is writing in the ______ voice if the action is done to the subject.

Subject-Verb agreement means that if a subject is singular, the verb must also be singular and if the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural.

Most plural nouns end in "s."

Most plural action verbs end in "s."

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A tidal wave, despite its name, (is, are) not caused by the tides.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Earthquakes beneath the sea (causes, cause) most tidal waves.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A network of warning signals (alert, alerts) people in coastal areas of an approaching tidal wave.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. The scientific name for tidal waves (are, is) tsunamis.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Each of the Jackson brothers (study, studies) dance.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Nobody in our family (speak, speaks) Greek well, but we all can speak a little bit.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. All of the fruit (is, are) ripe.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. All of the pears (is, are) ripe.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Our dog and cat can (get, gets) baths in the summer.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A chief geologist or her assistant (is, are) due to arrive tonight.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. A book or flowers usually (make, makes) an appropriate gift.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. The class (has, have) decided to have a science fair in November.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. Marble Falls (is, are) a city in central Texas.

Identify the form of the verb in parenthesis that agrees with its subject. World Tales (is, are) a collection of folk tales retold by Idries Shah.