Cohort 27 - Quiz On Sva II.

Reviewed by Editorial Team
The ProProfs editorial team is comprised of experienced subject matter experts. They've collectively created over 10,000 quizzes and lessons, serving over 100 million users. Our team includes in-house content moderators and subject matter experts, as well as a global network of rigorously trained contributors. All adhere to our comprehensive editorial guidelines, ensuring the delivery of high-quality content.
Learn about Our Editorial Process
| By Emiko Sultana
E
Emiko Sultana
Community Contributor
Quizzes Created: 7 | Total Attempts: 11,271
| Attempts: 319 | Questions: 50
Please wait...
Question 1 / 50
0 %
0/100
Score 0/100
1. The family _____ (ride/rides) bikes together each day.

Explanation

The subject "family" is singular, so it should be followed by the singular verb "rides." However, "bikes" is plural because it refers to multiple bikes. Therefore, the correct sentence is "The family rides bikes together each day."

Submit
Please wait...
About This Quiz
Cohort 27 - Quiz On Sva II. - Quiz

Subject-verb agreement: if you’ve been speaking, writing, and reading English for a while now, you probably think you’ve got this most basic of grammar topics covered. But do... see moreyou? Sure, none of us would ever write "subjects needs verbs" or "this tip writer need new ideas." We all know that plural subjects take plural verbs and that singular subjects take singular verbs. But can you identify the correct verb choice in each sentence below? see less

2. Politics _____ (are/is) an issue in R. K. Narayan's The Man-eater of Malgudi.

Explanation

Plural nouns that are singular in meaning
Some plural nouns take singular verbs, for example, athletics, economics, politics, news, mumps, and measles.

Submit
3. Christie and Prin _____ (is/are) characters from Laurence's The Diviners.

Explanation

If the two subjects are joined by “and” the verb will be plural in most situations
exception: when the joined subjects are preceded by “every,” “no,” or “nothing”

Submit
4. All of the milk _____ (is/are) gone.

Explanation

milk is an uncountable noun.

Submit
5. Some of the water _____ (is/are) gone.

Explanation

Because water (singular) is an uncountable noun and uncountable noun always follows the singular verb.

Submit
6. Either answer _____ (is/are) acceptable 

Explanation

The correct answer is "is" because the word "either" is used to refer to one of two options, and in this case, there is only one option given. Therefore, "is" is the correct form of the verb to agree with the singular subject "answer".

Submit
7. Thirty years _____ (is/are) a long time.

Explanation

Quantities of money, time and distance are considered singular.

Submit
8. The weather on the coast _____ (appear/appears) to be good this weekend.

Explanation

The correct answer is "appears" because it agrees with the subject "weather" which is singular.

Submit
9. It is only Orko, not his classmates, who _____ (eat/ eats) lunch in the classroom.

Explanation

The subject of the sentence is "Orko," and since it is a singular noun, the verb should also be in the singular form. Therefore, the correct verb to use is "eats."

Submit
10. All of the children _____ late.

Explanation

The correct answer is "are, were" because the sentence is referring to multiple children, indicating that the verb should be plural. "Are" is the present tense form of the verb, while "were" is the past tense form.

Submit
11. Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children _____ (are/is) my favourite novel.

Explanation

When used in sentences, the titles of books, plays, poems, movies, and so on are singular.

Submit
12. The man with the roses _____ (look/ looks) like your brother.

Explanation

The man is the subject here which is singular.

Submit
13. His knowledge of Maths and English _____ (aid/aids) him.

Explanation

The correct answer is "aids" because it agrees with the subject "knowledge," which is singular. The verb "aids" is the third-person singular form of the verb "aid," indicating that the knowledge of Maths and English helps or supports him.

Submit
14. Ten dollars _____ (is/are) not enough to get me to jump in the Atlantic Ocean in February.

Explanation

Some seemingly plural subjects can be singular in certain contexts. For example, "Physics is an interesting subject” but “The physics of this contraption baffle me."

Submit
15. One of the eggs _____ (is/are) broken.

Explanation

One of the eggs is broken. Of the eggs is a prepositional phrase. The subject one and the verb is are both singular.

Submit
16. Each of Sylvia Plath's "bee poems" _____ (use/uses) the theme of beekeeping to express aspects of the human condition.

Explanation

single indefinite pronoun: e.g., anyone, anybody, each, either, none
They use singular verbs.

Submit
17.  Just 10 miles from these buildings _____ (stand/stands) a castle. 

Explanation

Inverted Sentence- Verb (stand/stands)+ Subject (a castle-singular)+ Object

Submit
18. Getting my paper accepted in Cell and seeing it in the finished journal _____​ (​​​​​​was/were) the highlight of my career.

Explanation

"Getting my paper accepted in Cell and seeing it in the finished journal” can be considered one idea, so it can take a singular verb. It would be equally acceptable to write, “Getting my paper accepted in Cell and seeing it in the finished journal were the highlights of my career,” but in that case the writer is thinking of these as two separate events. Consider also, “A carelessness and inattention to detail runs through her work.” The singular article “a” makes it clear that “carelessness and inattention to detail” is a singular idea.

Submit
19. Each of the editors _____ (want/wants) to accept the paper.

Explanation

When "each" is the subject, as here, it is singular. When it modifies a plural subject, it’s plural. Thus, we would write "The editors each want to accept the paper." Now the subject is "editors" rather than "each."

Submit
20. Neither Edna's neighbours nor her husband _____ (agrees/agree) with her decision.

Explanation

If the subjects are joined by “nor” or “or,” the verb agrees with the closer subject (the last one)

Submit
21. The characters in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night _____ (lives/live) in a world that has been turned upside-down.

Explanation

. When the subject and verb are separated

Find the subject and verb and make sure they agree.
Ignore the words in-between because they do not affect agreement.

Submit
22. My pants _____​ ​​​​​​torn.

Explanation

The correct answer is "were" because it indicates that the action of the pants being torn happened in the past. "Are" would be incorrect because it implies that the pants are currently torn.

Submit
23. Either the children or the parent _____ (has/have) to give in.

Explanation

When two or more subjects are joined by "or," the verb must agree with the closest subject. Thus, we would have to write, "The parent or the children have to give in."

Submit
24. All of the pizza _____ (was/were) gone.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was" because "pizza" is a singular noun and requires a singular verb form. In this sentence, "All of the pizza" is the subject, and since "pizza" is not plural, the verb "was" is used instead of "were."

Submit
25. Neither the teacher nor the students _____ (wants/want) to stay late.

Explanation

If joined by or / nor, then the subjects are not combined, so the verb must agree with whichever subject is closest to it.

Submit
26. Boston, along with all the New England cities, _____ (tend/tends) to get snow in January.

Explanation

When commas set off a parenthetical element in a sentence, what lies between the commas has no effect on the verb. So we would write, “All New England cities, including Boston, tend to get snow in January.

Submit
27. _____ (Is/Are) each of the girls ready to leave?

Explanation

The word "each" indicates that the question is referring to each individual girl separately. Therefore, the correct verb to use is "is" because it agrees with the singular subject "each girl."

Submit
28. More than one of the authors _____ (has/have) received the Nobel Prize.

Explanation

When a noun phrase contains more than one and a singular noun, the verb is normally singular: There is more than one way to skin a cat. ... When more than one is followed by of and a plural noun, the verb is plural: More than one of the paintings were stolen.

Submit
29. Either the microphone or the speakers _____ (are/is) broken. 

Explanation

If joined by or / nor, then the subjects are not combined, so the verb must agree with whichever subject is closest to it.

Submit
30. Nearly one in three organizations _____ (spend/spends) less than one million dollars annually on compliance with the regulation.

Explanation

In sentences such as this in which a phrase refers to a proportion of a whole in which the proportion is one, the verb should be singular: “Nearly one in three organizations spends less than one million dollars annually on compliance with the regulation.”

Submit
31. The first author as well as the last two authors _____ (has/have) approved the proofs.

Explanation

The phrase "as well as" always introduces parenthetical information, which one should not take into account when determining the singularity or plurality of the verb. Thus, the only subject that matters here is "the first author," which is singular. If we were to replace "as well as" with "and," we'd need to use "have."

Submit
32. Most of the news _____ good.

Explanation

(News- uncountable noun- Singular)

Submit
33. Nobody in the class _____ the answer. 

Explanation

The correct answer is "has, knows" because the sentence is referring to a singular subject ("Nobody") which requires the singular form of the verb "has" and the singular form of the verb "knows".

Submit
34. One of those disasters that often _____ occurs/occur only in movies happened just as I got off the plane.
Submit
35. A proportion of authors _____ (are/is) at the conference.

Explanation

Even though "a proportion" is singular, the verb should agree with "authors," the object of the preposition ("of" is a preposition). However, if we use "the proportion" instead of "a proportion," then the verb should always be singular: "The proportion of authors at the conference is lower this year than last year."

Submit
36. Most of the flowers _____ yellow.

Explanation

Flowers plural

Submit
37. A bouquet of yellow roses _____ beautiful. 

Explanation

A bouquet ( singular subject)

Submit
38. Not only the previously published papers but also the one under review _____ (were/was) called into question.

Explanation

The verb agrees with the closer subject.

Submit
39. Both of the main characters in Waiting for Godot _____ (believes/ believe) Godot is the purpose of life.

Explanation

plural indefinite pronouns: both, few, many, several - They use plural verbs.
All, any, most, and some depend on the situation. They can be either singular or plural.

Submit
40. Implementing simplistic solutions based on symptomatic causes, or a single cause when there are multiple interacting causes, _____  (is/are) highly likely to end in failure and disappointment.

Explanation

When two choices are presented as alternatives rather than as a combination, with or rather than and linking them, a singular verb is appropriate because it applies only to the first option: “Implementing simplistic solutions based on symptomatic causes, or a single cause when there are multiple interacting causes, is highly likely to end in failure and disappointment.”

Submit
41. I feel that each of these skills _____ crucial for this job.

Explanation

The subject of this sentence is each, not skills, so the associated verb must be singular: “I feel that each of these skills is crucial for this job.”

Submit
42. Neither of the two lights _____ working.

Explanation

Neither shows singularity. However, it is different in case of Neither – Nor.

Submit
43. A pair of jeans _____ in the bathroom. 

Explanation

not-available-via-ai

Submit
44. The patchwork of federal and state regulations _____ left firms with great uncertainty about how to comply.

Explanation

The verb applies to the subject patchwork, not to the phrase modifying the subject, so has, not have, is correct: “The patchwork of federal and state regulations has left firms with great uncertainty about how to comply.”

Submit
45. The majority of English majors _____ (reads/read) Conrad's Heart of Darkness while at university.

Explanation

Collective nouns

These are nouns that are singular in form, but plural in meaning.
Examples: band, minority, majority, class, community, dozen, family, public, team
When they act as one entity, use a singular verb.
When they do separate things, use a plural verb, BUT it is easier to reword the sentence. For example, write “the members of the team” instead of “the team.”

Submit
46. The teacher voted by students _____ traveling. 

Explanation

not-available-via-ai

Submit
47. Sumon, along with other teachers, _____ taking classes.  

Explanation

Remember this: Along with, Together with, as well as, in addition to, accompanied by.
Use the subject before all these words present in a sentence to change the verb.

Submit
48. Demonstrating effective continuous-monitoring programs _____ also helped leading institutions meet heightened regulatory expectations.

Explanation

The verb following programs pertains not to that word but to demonstrating—it is the act of demonstrating, not the programs, that has provided the assistance referred to here, so has is the correct form of the verb: “Demonstrating effective continuous-monitoring programs has also helped leading institutions meet heightened regulatory expectations.”

Submit
49. Either the teacher or the students  _____ responsible. 

Explanation

When there are two subjects in one sentence change the verb according to the closest subject.

Submit
50. The police _____ here. 

Explanation

The correct answer for this question is "are, were" because the word "police" is a plural noun, referring to a group of individuals. Therefore, we use the plural form of the verb "to be" which is "are" for the present tense and "were" for the past tense.

Submit
View My Results

Quiz Review Timeline (Updated): Mar 19, 2023 +

Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.

  • Current Version
  • Mar 19, 2023
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • Nov 04, 2019
    Quiz Created by
    Emiko Sultana
Cancel
  • All
    All (50)
  • Unanswered
    Unanswered ()
  • Answered
    Answered ()
The family _____ (ride/rides) bikes together each day.
Politics _____ (are/is) an issue in R. K. Narayan's The Man-eater of...
Christie and Prin _____ (is/are) characters from Laurence's The...
All of the milk _____ (is/are) gone.
Some of the water _____ (is/are) gone.
Either answer _____ (is/are) acceptable 
Thirty years _____ (is/are) a long time.
The weather on the coast _____ (appear/appears) to be good...
It is only Orko, not his classmates, who _____ (eat/ eats) lunch in...
All of the children _____ late.
Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children _____ (are/is) my favourite...
The man with the roses _____ (look/ looks) like your brother.
His knowledge of Maths and English _____ (aid/aids) him.
Ten dollars _____ (is/are) not enough to get me to jump in...
One of the eggs _____ (is/are) broken.
Each of Sylvia Plath's "bee poems" _____ (use/uses) the theme of...
 Just 10 miles from these buildings _____ (stand/stands) a...
Getting my paper accepted in Cell and seeing it in the...
Each of the editors _____ (want/wants) to accept the paper.
Neither Edna's neighbours nor her husband _____ (agrees/agree)...
The characters in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night _____ (lives/live) in a...
My pants _____​ ​​​​​​torn.
Either the children or the parent _____ (has/have) to give...
All of the pizza _____ (was/were) gone.
Neither the teacher nor the students _____ (wants/want) to stay late.
Boston, along with all the New England cities, _____...
_____ (Is/Are) each of the girls ready to leave?
More than one of the authors _____ (has/have) received the...
Either the microphone or the speakers _____ (are/is) broken. 
Nearly one in three organizations _____ (spend/spends) less than one...
The first author as well as the last two authors...
Most of the news _____ good.
Nobody in the class _____ the answer. 
One of those disasters that...
A proportion of authors _____ (are/is) at the conference.
Most of the flowers _____ yellow.
A bouquet of yellow roses _____ beautiful. 
Not only the previously published papers but also the one under...
Both of the main characters in Waiting for Godot _____ (believes/...
Implementing simplistic solutions based on symptomatic causes, or a...
I feel that each of these skills _____ crucial for this job.
Neither of the two lights _____ working.
A pair of jeans _____ in the bathroom. 
The patchwork of federal and state regulations _____ left firms with...
The majority of English majors _____ (reads/read) Conrad's Heart...
The teacher voted by students _____ traveling. 
Sumon, along with other teachers, _____ taking classes.  
Demonstrating effective continuous-monitoring programs _____ also...
Either the teacher or the students  _____ responsible. 
The police _____ here. 
Alert!

Advertisement