Complete the following sentences with a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1A number of students ............... absent today.
Wrong!
Use "are" because "a number of" means several and takes a plural verb.
2The girls ............... dancing merrily.
Wrong!
Use "are" because the subject "girls" is plural.
3In hot weather milk ............... sour fast.
Wrong!
Use "turns" because the uncountable noun "milk" is treated as singular.
4The list of eligible students ............... been published.
Wrong!
Use "has" because the main subject is the singular noun "list."
5The news ............... false.
Wrong!
Use "is" because "news" is singular in English.
6The earth ............... on its own axis.
Wrong!
Use "rotates" because the singular subject "earth" takes an -s verb in the simple present.
7"Gulliver's Travels" ............... an interesting novel.
Wrong!
Use "is" because the title "Gulliver's Travels" names one book.
8A thousand dollars ............... a huge amount.
Wrong!
Use "is" because "a thousand dollars" is treated as one amount.
9The boy ............... actually waiting for school to reopen.
Wrong!
Use "was" because the subject "boy" is singular.
10Neither the principal nor the teachers ............... able to give a satisfactory explanation.
Wrong!
Use "were" because with "neither... nor," the verb agrees with the nearer plural noun "teachers."
11Neither the headmaster nor the teacher ............... responsible for this.
Wrong!
Use "is" because with "neither... nor," the verb agrees with the nearer singular noun "teacher."
Done.
Score: 0/11
Answers
- A number of students are absent today.
- The girls are dancing merrily.
- In hot weather milk turns sour fast.
- The list of eligible students has been published.
- The news is false.
- The earth rotates on its own axis.
- “Gulliver’s Travels” is an interesting novel.
- A thousand dollars is a huge amount.
- The boy was actually waiting for school to reopen.
- Neither the principal nor the teachers were able to give a satisfactory explanation.
- Neither the headmaster nor the teacher is responsible for this.
