Subject-verb agreement is an important grammatical rule that determines the agreement between the subject and verb in a sentence. It is crucial to ensure that the subject and verb agree in terms of number and person in order to convey a clear and accurate message. Here are some common subject-verb agreement MCQs with answers in PDF format to help you improve your grammar skills.
1. Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb agreement?
a) The team of players are practicing in the field.
b) The team of players is practicing in the field.
c) The team of players were practicing in the field.
d) The team of players have practiced in the field.
Answer: b) The team of players is practicing in the field.
Explanation: In this sentence, `team` is the subject and it is singular. Therefore, the verb `is` should be used to maintain subject-verb agreement.
2. Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb agreement?
a) Neither John nor his brothers was interested in sports.
b) Neither John nor his brothers were interested in sports.
c) Neither John nor his brother was interested in sports.
d) Neither John nor his brother were interested in sports.
Answer: a) Neither John nor his brothers was interested in sports.
Explanation: When `neither . . . nor` is used, the verb should agree with the closer subject. In this sentence, `brothers` is farther away from the verb, so it should not be considered as part of the agreement.
3. Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb agreement?
a) Each of the students have completed their assignments.
b) Each of the students has completed their assignments.
c) Each of the students had completed their assignments.
d) Each of the students were completing their assignments.
Answer: b) Each of the students has completed their assignments.
Explanation: `Each` is a singular pronoun and it requires a singular verb. Therefore, `has` should be used here instead of `have`.
4. Which of the following sentences has correct subject-verb agreement?
a) The book, as well as the movie, were interesting.
b) The book, as well as the movie, was interesting.
c) The book, as well as the movies, were interesting.
d) The books, as well as the movie, were interesting.
Answer: b) The book, as well as the movie, was interesting.
Explanation: When two subjects are joined by `as well as`, the verb should agree with the first subject. In this sentence, `book` is the first subject and it is singular, so `was` should be used.
In conclusion, subject-verb agreement is an essential rule in English grammar that determines the accuracy and clarity of the sentence. These MCQs with answers in PDF format are a helpful resource to improve your grasp of this important grammatical concept. By practicing these exercises and paying attention to the correct use of subject-verb agreement, you can improve your writing and communication skills.