Subject-Verb Agreement Practice Test 1 4.

Jim and Mike are going to take the

Answers Subprofessional Civil Service Examination
next month.

Explanation: No error. Jim and Mike is a

1. My brother or my sister are arriving
plural subject, so the plural verb are is used.
tomorrow.

Correct sentence: My brother or my

sister is arriving tomorrow 5. Each of the boys play piano well.

Explanation: Two singular subjects Correct sentence: Each of the

connected by or require a singular verb. In boys plays piano well.
this sentence, there brother and sister are
Explanation: The
both singular, so the sentence should use
pronouns each, anyone, anybody, everyone, ev
the singular verb is.
ery one, everybody are singular and require
singular verbs. In the sentence, each is
singular so, the singular verb plays must be
2. Neither Ella nor her friends is available to
used.
assist you.

Correct sentence: Neither Ella nor her

friends are available to assist you.
When a singular subject and a plural subject
are connected by neither/nor or either/or,
the verb agrees with the subject nearest to
it. In the sentence above, the plural
verb are is used because it is nearer to the
plural subject friends.
6. Neither of them are available to meet you
at the airport.
Correct sentence: Neither of
them is available to meet you at the airport.
Explanation: Sentences that use
either or neither (without or) always require
singular verb.

3. Armand, together with his

7. Ten years are such a long time to wait my
friends, are going on a camping trip
love.
tomorrow.
Correct sentence: Ten years is such a long
Correct sentence: Armand, together with
time to wait my love.
his friends, is going on a camping trip
tomorrow. Explanation: Periods of time take singular
verb.
Explanation: In general, phrases such
as together 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 verb is is used.
8. Five thousand pesos are a high price to
pay for a single T-shirt.
Correct sentence: Five thousand pesos is a
high price to pay for a single T-shirt.
Explanation: Amount of money takes singular
verb.
9. Fifty percent of the
cake have disappeared after just two
minutes.
Correct sentence: Fifty percent of the
cake has disappeared after just two
minutes.
Explanation: The verb used in words that
indicate portions such
as percent, 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 verb has should be used.
10. Everybody is happy about the result of
the examination
Explanation: No Error. See no. 5 for
explanation.
11. One-tenth of the people in this
city are unemployed.
Explanation: No error. See no. 9 for
explanation.
12. He is one of the men who does the work
without complaining.
Correct sentence: He is one of the men
who do the work without complaining.
Explanation: The pronouns who, which,
and that which 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 of who is men which is plural,
so the plural verb do must be used.
13. The team are going to practice tomorrow
for the final competition
Correct sentence: The team is going to
practice tomorrow for the final competition
Explanation: Collective nouns such
as team and staff may 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 committee are in disagreement
whether to use the fund in a feeding
program or donate it to a hospital.
Explanation: No error. Unlike in number 13,
the committee in this sentence act as
individuals and not as a unit.
15. Nina, as well as his brother and
sister, is attending a birthday party.
Explanation: No error. See no. 3 for
explanation.