Fill in the blanks with a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1Time and tide ............... for none.
Wrong!
Two subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb, so the proverb is "Time and tide wait for none".
2The state of his affairs ............... sure to cause anxiety to his creditors.
Wrong!
The singular head noun "state" takes the singular verb "was".
3My father and I ............... soccer.
Wrong!
The compound subject "My father and I" takes the plural verb "like".
4He or his friend ............... the secret.
Wrong!
Two singular subjects joined by "or" take the singular verb "knows".
5He or his friends ............... responsible for this.
Wrong!
With "or," the verb agrees with the nearer plural subject, so "are" is correct.
6Neither my friends nor I ............... interested in this offer.
Wrong!
With "neither... nor," the verb agrees with the nearer subject, so "am" is correct.
7Either he or you ............... mistaken.
Wrong!
With "either... or," the verb agrees with the nearer subject, so "are" is correct.
8Oil as well as gas ............... imported to India.
Wrong!
The phrase "as well as gas" does not make the subject plural, so "is" is correct.
9The mother along with her children ............... waiting in the lobby.
Wrong!
The phrase "along with her children" does not make the subject plural, so "is" is correct.
10Many a man ............... lost his life at sea.
Wrong!
The expression "Many a man" takes the singular verb "has".
11The Pickwick Papers ............... written by Charles Dickens.
Wrong!
A book title is treated as singular, so "was" is correct.
12None of my shirts ............... clean at the moment.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "is" and "are" are acceptable after "None of my shirts"; "at the moment" shows that a present tense is needed.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- Time and tide wait for none.
- The state of his affairs was sure to cause anxiety to his creditors.
- My father and I like soccer.
- He or his friend knows the secret.
- He or his friends are responsible for this.
- Neither my friends nor I am interested in this offer.
- Either he or you are mistaken.
- Oil as well as gas is imported to India.
- The mother along with her children is waiting in the lobby.
- Many a man has lost his life at sea.
- The Pickwick Papers was written by Charles Dickens.
- None of my shirts is / are clean at the moment.