Subject-Verb Agreement Practice Test 11. My brother or my sister are arriving tomorrow.

2. Neither Ella nor her friendsisavailable to assist you.3. Armand, together with his friends,aregoing on a camping trip tomorrow.4. Jim and Mike are going to take the SubprofessionalCivil Service Examinationnext month.5. Each of the boysplaypiano well.6. Neither of themareavailable to meet you at the airport.7. Ten yearsaresuch a long time to wait my love.8. Five thousand pesosarea high price to pay for a single T-shirt.9. Fifty percent of the cakehavedisappeared after just two minutes.10. Everybody is happy about the result of the examination11. One-tenth of the people in this city are unemployed.12. He is one of the men whodoesthe work without complaining.13. The teamaregoing to practice tomorrow for the final competition14. The committee are in disagreement whether to use the fund in a feeding program or donate it to a hospital.15. Nina, as well as his brother and sister, is attending a birthday party.

Subject-Verb AgreementPractice Test1 Answers1. My brother or my sisterarearriving tomorrow.

Correct sentence: My brother or my sisterisarriving tomorrow

Explanation: Two singular subjects connected byorrequire a singular verb. In this sentence, therebrotherandsisterare both singular, so the sentence should use the singular verbis.

2. Neither Ella nor her friendsisavailable to assist you.

Correct sentence:Neither Ella nor her friendsareavailable to assist you.

When a singular subject and a plural subject are connected byneither/nororeither/or, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. In the sentence above, the plural verbareis used because it is nearer to the plural subjectfriends.

3. Armand, together with his friends,aregoing on a camping trip tomorrow.

Correct sentence:Armand, together with his friends,isgoing on a camping trip tomorrow.

Explanation: In general, phrases such astogether with,along with,as well as, should be ignored when considering the verb of the sentence. The verb should always agree with the subject. In this sentence, Armand is the singular subject, so the singular verbisis used.

4. Jim and Mikearegoing to take the SubprofessionalCivil Service Examinationnext month.

Explanation: No error. Jim and Mike is a plural subject, so the plural verbareis used.

5. Each of the boysplaypiano well.

Correct sentence:Each of the boysplayspiano well.

Explanation: The pronounseach,anyone,anybody,everyone,every one,everybodyare singular and require singular verbs. In the sentence,eachis singular so, the singular verbplaysmust be used.

6. Neither of themareavailable to meet you at the airport.

Correct sentence:Neither of themisavailable to meet you at the airport.

Explanation: Sentences that use eitherorneither (without or) always require singular verb.

7. Ten yearsaresuch a long time to wait my love.

Correct sentence:Ten yearsissuch a long time to wait my love.

Explanation: Periods of time take singular verb.

8. Five thousand pesosarea high price to pay for a single T-shirt.

Correct sentence:Five thousand pesosisa high price to pay for a single T-shirt.

Explanation: Amount of money takes singular verb.

9. Fifty percent of the cakehavedisappeared after just two minutes.

Correct sentence:Fifty percent of the cakehasdisappeared after just two minutes.

Explanation: The verb used in words that indicate portions such aspercent,fraction,part,all,some,etc. depends on the noun in the of phrase. In the sentence above, the cake in of the cake phrase is singular, therefore, the singular verbhasshould be used.

10. Everybodyishappy about the result of the examination

Explanation: No Error. See no. 5 for explanation.

11. One-tenth of the people in this cityareunemployed.

Explanation: No error. See no. 9 for explanation.

12. He is one of the men whodoesthe work without complaining.

Correct sentence:He is one of the men whodothe work without complaining.

Explanation: The pronounswho,which, andthatwhich is the subject of the verb in the middle of the sentence become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. In the sentence above, the noun in front ofwhoismenwhich is plural, so the plural verbdomust be used.

13. The teamaregoing to practice tomorrow for the final competition

Correct sentence:The teamisgoing to practice tomorrow for the final competition

Explanation: Collective nouns such asteamandstaffmay either be singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence. In the sentence above, the team acts as a unit and therefore requires a singular verb.

14. The committeearein disagreement whether to use the fund in a feeding program or donate it to a hospital.

Explanation: No error. Unlike in number 13, thecommitteein this sentence act as individuals and not as a unit.

15. Nina, as well as his brother and sister,isattending a birthday party.

Explanation: No error. See no. 3 for explanation.

Below are theanswersand the explanations to theGrammar and Correct Usage Practice Test 1. Theincorrect word or phrase in the sentence is highlighted red, while the correct word or phrase is highlighted green.

1. The inventor stood toexceptthe award.Correct Sentence: The inventor stood toacceptthe award.Explanation: Accept means to receive, except means to exclude.

2.Betweenthe three of us, I think I am the slowest runner.

Correct Sentence:Amongthe three of us, I think I am the slowest runner.Explanation: Among is used to refer to 3 or more members of the group, while between is used to refer to two member of the group.

3. There arescarcely no morebirds in this city.

Correct sentence: There arescarcelyanybirds in this city.Explanation: Double negative. Scarcely and no more are both negative word/phrase.

4. This fruit containsfewersugar.

Correct sentence: This fruit containslesssugar.Explanation: Fewer is used to describe plural nouns (how many) while less is used to describe singular nouns (how much). Sugar is singular.

5. I havenever seen nothingas beautiful as this city.

Correct sentence: I havenever seen anythingas beautiful as this city.Explanation: Double negative. Never seen and nothing are both negative word/phrase.

6. Place the mirror on the wall to give you anallusionof bigger room.

Correct sentence: Place the mirror on the wall to give you anillusionof bigger room.Explanation: Allusion means a passing or casual reference, while illusion means something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.

7. We were lucky we didnt have typhoon this month. (No Error)

8.My favorite vegetablearepeas.

Correct sentence: May favorite vegetableispeas.Explanation: The subject isfavoriteis singular, therefore the verb are should beis.

9. Either James or Johnaregoing to lead the choir in the recitaltommorow.

Correct sentence: Either James or Johnisgoing to lead the choir in their recitaltomorrow.Explanation: Ineither orstatements, the verb considers the subject after the or statement. The subjectJohnis singular, so the verb should beis. The correct spelling istomorrow.

10. The additional supplies that we need to bring are:band aids, cottons, alcohol, and gauze.

Correct sentences:

The additional supplies that we need to bring areband aids, cottons, alcohol, and gauze. (The colon was deleted).The additional supplies that we need to bringare the following:band aids, cottons, alcohol, and gauze.

Explanation: The colon is used before a list of items especially after expressions likethe followingandas follows. Do not use a colon before a verb or a preposition.

11. All the studentshasfinished their report.

Correct sentence: All the studentshavefinished their report.Explanation: In this sentence, all refers to many students, therefore have is the correct verb.

12. He wasahonorable man.

Correct sentence: He wasanhonorable man.Explanation:Ais used before words beginning with a consonant sound (a car, a pencil), whileanis used to before words beginning with vowel sounds (an ant, an egg).Anis also used to before words beginning with the consonanthwhenhis not pronounced (such ashonorable).

13. The recently heavy floodingeffectedthe crops of farmers.

Correct sentence: The recently heavy floodingaffectedthe crops of farmers.Explanation: Affect means to influence while effect means the result of some actions.

14. Emmanuelcould ofpassed the examinations if he had studied hard enough.

Correct sentence: Emmanuelcould havepassed the examinations if he studied hard enough.Explanation: The word of is not used after the verb could.

15. I believe thatweregoing to have a prosperous new year.

Correct sentence: I believe thatweregoing to have a prosperous new year.Explanation: The wordwereis the past tense ofwaswhilewereis the contraction ofwe are.