Subject-Verb Agreement: Exercise Answers, Study Guides, Projects, Research of English

Download Subject-Verb Agreement: Exercise Answers and more Study Guides, Projects, Research English in PDF only on Docsity! Subject-Verb Agreement (answer Key) 1. The rhythm of the pounding waves _____ calming. (Clue: Make the subject and verb agree when words intervene between them.) is ... CORRECT 2. All of the dogs in the neighborhood _____ barking. (Clue: Make the subject and verb agree when words intervene between them.) were ... CORRECT 3. A high tax, not to mention unemployment, _____ votes. (Clue: The grammatical number of the subject does not change with the addition of expressions beginning with such words as the following: accompanied by, along with, as well as, in addition to, including, no less than, not to mention, together with.) influences ... CORRECT 4. My friends and my mother _____ each other. (Clue: Subjects joined by and are usually plural.) like ... CORRECT 5. The team and the band _____ on the field. (Clue: Subjects joined by and are usually plural.) were ... CORRECT 6. Building a good marriage and building a good log fire _____ similar in many ways. (Clue: Subjects joined by and are usually plural.) are ... CORRECT 7. John or Doris _____ to us regularly. (Clue: Singular subjects joined by or, either . . . or, neither . . . nor take a singular verb.) writes ... CORRECT 8. Either Patty or Tom _____ asked to lead the meeting. (Clue: Singular subjects joined by or, either . . . or, neither . . . nor take a singular verb.) was ... CORRECT 9. Neither Carol nor Ted _____ excluded from the meeting. (Clue: Singular subjects joined by or, either . . . or, neither . . . nor take a singular verb.) is ... CORRECT 10. Neither the basket nor the apples _____ expensive. (Clue: If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.) were ... CORRECT 11. Neither the apples nor the basket _____ expensive. (Clue: If one subject is singular and one is plural, the verb agrees with the nearer subject.) was... CORRECT 12. Either Maria or you _____ late for class. (Clue: The verb also agrees with the nearer subject in person.) were ... CORRECT 13. Either you or Maria _____ late for class. (Clue: The verb also agrees with the nearer subject in person.) was ... CORRECT 14. Hardest hit by the high temperatures and drought _____ the farmers. (Clue: Do not let inverted word order cause you to make a mistake in agreement.) were ... CORRECT 15. Neither of them _____ going to the show. (Clue: When used as subjects, such words as each, either, one, everybody, and anyone regularly take singular verbs.) likes ... CORRECT 16. Each of them _____ a good seat. (Clue: When used as subjects, such words as each, either, one, everybody, and anyone regularly take singular verbs.) has ... CORRECT 17. Everybody in the class _____ tickets. (Clue: When used as subjects, such words as each, either, one, everybody, and anyone regularly take singular verbs.) has ... CORRECT 18. Every silver knife, fork, and spoon _____ to be counted. (Clue: Every or each preceding singular subjects joined by and calls for a singular verb.) has ... CORRECT 19. Each cat and each dog _____ its own toy. (Clue: Every or each preceding singular subjects joined by and calls for a singular verb.) has ... CORRECT 20. The committee _____ meeting today. (Clue: Collective nouns take a singular verb when they refer to the group as a unit.) is ... CORRECT 21. Ten million gallons of oil _____ a lot of oil. (Clue: Collective nouns take a singular verb when they refer to the group as a unit.) is ... CORRECT 22. The jury _____ today. (Clue: Collective nouns take a singular verb when they refer to the group as a unit.) votes ... CORRECT 23. The number _____ very small. (Clue: Collective nouns take a singular verb when they refer to the group as a unit.) is ... CORRECT 24. A number of students _____ absent. (Clue: Collective nouns take a plural verb when they refer to individuals or parts of the group.) were ... CORRECT 25. Ten million gallons of oil _____ spilled. (Clue: Collective nouns take a plural verb when they refer to individuals or parts of the group.) were ... CORRECT 26. The majority of us _____ in favor. (Clue: Collective nouns take a plural verb when they refer to individuals or parts of the group.) are ... CORRECT 27. Statistics _____ an interesting subject. (Clue: Some nouns (such as athletics, politics, series, deer, and sheep) can be either singular or plural depending on meaning.) is ... CORRECT 28. Statistics _____ often misleading. (Clue: Some nouns (such as athletics, politics, series, deer, and sheep) can be either singular or plural depending on meaning.) are ... CORRECT 29. The sheep _____ when the gate is left open. (Clue: Some nouns (such as athletics, politics, series, deer, and sheep) can be either singular or plural depending on meaning.) strays ... CORRECT 30. Sheep _____ when the gate is left open. (Clue: Some nouns (such as athletics, politics, series, deer, and sheep) can be either singular or plural depending on meaning.) stray ... CORRECT