This grammar exercise tests your understanding of rules regarding agreement.
Fill in the blanks.
1. Vermin ………………….. our property and carry disease.
Though vermin is singular in form, it is always used as a plural noun.
2. Whose cattle ……………………?
Though cattle is singular in form, it is always used as a plural noun.
3. His means ………………….. small, but he has no debt.
When means is used with the meaning of wealth, it is always plural.
4. A new means of communication ……………………….. invented in the 19th century.
Both the singular and the plural of means end in –s.
5. I bought two ………………….. mangoes.
When dozen is used after a number, it does not have a plural form.
6. Man is the only animal that …………………….. fire.
Here the antecedent of the relative pronoun is a singular noun (animal) and hence we use the singular verb uses.
7. Hunting tigers ……………………… a favorite sport in this country.
Here the subject is the gerund phrase hunting tigers. It is singular.
8. There ……………………. little hope of his recovery.
Hope is a singular noun; hence we use is.
9. Every one of these chairs ……………………. broken.
We use a singular verb after every one.
10. He visits us every ……………………….
We use a singular noun after every.
11. He visits us every three ………………….
A plural noun is used after every + numeral.
12. A house divided against …………………… cannot stand.
Here the subject and the object refer to the same thing and hence we use the reflexive pronoun itself.
Answers
1. Vermin destroy our property and carry disease.
2. Whose cattle are these?
3. His means are small, but he has no debt.
4. A new means of communication was invented in the 19th century.
5. I bought two dozen mangoes.
6. Man is the only animal that uses fire.
7. Hunting tigers is a favorite sport in this country.
8. There is little hope of his recovery.
9. Every one of these chairs is broken.
10. He visits us every week.
11. He visits us every three days.
12. A house divided against itself cannot stand.
