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Quiz on Subject-Verb Agreement
1. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator ____ going to have to make a decision. is are When subjects are connected by or, the subject closer to the verb (which is, in this case, singular) determines the number of the verb. Correct:is 2. ______ my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance? Is Are You're right! Again, the subject closer to the verb (my boss) determines the number of the verb. Correct:Is 3. Some of the votes __________ to have been miscounted. seem seems You're right! Some is the subject in this sentence; it is plural because the word votes makes it a countable indefinite pronoun. Correct:seem 4. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring _____ more than just a nuisance. are is The subject is tornadoes. Don't be confused by the words and phrases that sometimes come between a subject and its verb. Correct:are 5. Everyone selected to serve on this jury _____ to be willing to give up a lot of time. have has You're right! Everyone! seems to be a plural word, but it is always singular. Correct:has 6. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, _________ a formidable opponent on the basketball court. presents present You're right! The subject is not compounded by phrases such as along with, together with, and as well as. Correct:presents 7. He seems to forget that there __________ things to be done before he can graduate. are is You're right! The subject (things, in this case) comes after the verb in constructions that begin with here or there. Correct:are 8. There _______ to be some people left in that town after yesterday's flood. have has You're right! The subject is people, which is plural, and that determines the verb (not the word there). Correct:have 9. Some of the grain __________ to be contaminated. appear appears You're right! Some is the subject of this sentence and, since it is not really countable (you can't count the grain), it is singular. Correct:appears 10. Three-quarters of the students __________ against the tuition hike. is are You're right! Three quarters of the students represents a countable number. Correct:are 11. Three-quarters of the student body __________ against the tuition hike. is are Three quarters of the student body represents a lump sum, a singular entity. Correct:is 12. A high percentage of the population _________ voting for the new school. is are "Percentage" is a mathematical proportion, expressing here a singular lump sum. See the next question. Correct:is 13. A high percentage of the people _________ voting for the new school. was were You're right! "Percentage" is a mathematical proportion, but here it reflects a countable, therefore plural, quantity. Correct:were |