Subject-Verb Agreement Practice Test 2 Answers

1. My brother or my sister are arriving tomorrow.

Correct sentence: My brother or my sister is arriving tomorrow
Explanation: Two singular subjects connected by or require a singular verb. In this sentence,
there brother and sister are both singular, so the sentence should use the singular verb is.

2. Neither Ella nor her friends is available to 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.

3. Armand, together with his friends, are going on a camping trip tomorrow.
Correct sentence: Armand, together with his friends, is going on a camping trip tomorrow.
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.

4. Jim and Mike are going to take the Subprofessional Civil Service Examination next month.
Explanation: No error. Jim and Mike is a plural subject, so the plural verb are is used.

5. Each of the boys play piano well.

Correct sentence: Each of the boys plays piano well.
Explanation: The pronouns each, anyone, anybody, everyone, every one, everybody are singular
and require singular verbs. In the sentence, each is singular so, the singular verb plays must be
used.

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.

7. Ten years are such a long time to wait my love.

Correct sentence: Ten years is such a long time to wait my love.
Explanation: Periods of time take singular verb.

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 menwhich 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.