ANSWER KEY SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT-

Exercise 1
1. Your friendship over the years and your support (has/have) meant a great deal to us.

2. Hamilton Family Center, a shelter for teenage runaways in San Francisco, (offers/offer) a wide
variety of services.
3. The main source of income for Trinidad (is/are) oil and pitch.

4. The chances of your being promoted (is/are) excellent.

5. There (was/were) a Pokémon card stuck to the refrigerator.

6. Neither the professor nor his assistants (was/were) able to solve the mystery of the eerie glow
in the laboratory.

7. Many hours at the driving range (has/have) led us to design golf balls with GPS locators in
them.

8. Discovered in the soil of our city garden (was/were) a button dating from the Civil War dating
from the turn of the century.

9. Every year, during the midsummer festival, the smoke of village bonfires (fills/fill) the sky.

10. The story performers (was/were) surrounded by children and adults eager to see magical
tales.

Exercise 2
1. One of the main reasons for elephant poaching is the profits received from selling the ivory
tusks.

2. CORRECT

3. Batik cloth from Bali, blue and white ceramics from Cambodia, and a bocce ball from Turin
have made Hannah’s rooms the talk of the dorm.

4. CORRECT

5. CORRECT

6. The presence of certain bacteria in our bodies is one of the factors that determine our overall
health.

7. CORRECT

8. Neither the explorer nor his companions were ever seen again.

EXERCISE 3
1. Benito (doesn't, don't) know the answer.

2. Annie and her brothers (is, are) at school.

3. George and Tamara (doesn't, don't) want to see that movie.

4. Your pants (is, are) at the cleaner's.

5. (Is, Are) the tweezers in this drawer?

6. The committee (debates, debate) these questions carefully.

7. The members of the committee (leads, lead) very different lives in private

8. (Is, Are) the news on at five or six?

9. Mathematics (is, are) John's favourite subject, while Civics (is, are) Andrea's favourite
subject

10. Statistics (is, are) not a piece of cake to learn.

11. Unfortunately, dishonest politics (was, were) used to win the election.

12. Athletics (provides, provide) important opportunities for physical development.

13. Good news usually (travels, travel) fast.

14. Ceramics (take, takes) a great deal of practice for proficiency.

15. The projected statistics (compares, compare) the budgets of the first 3 quarters.

16. The dog or the cats (is, are) outside.

17. The players, as well as the captain, (want, wants) to win.

18. Either my shoes or your coat (is, are) always on the floor.

19. The movie, including all the previews, (take, takes) about two hours to watch.

20. The Prime Minister, together with his wife, (greets, greet) the press cordially.

21. The man with all the birds (live, lives) on my street.

22. One of my sisters (is, are) going on a trip to France.

23. Either my mother or my father (is, are) coming to the meeting.

24. 50% of the work (is, are) complete.

25. Either answer (is, are) acceptable.

 26. Every one of those books (is, are) fiction.

27. Nobody (know, knows) the trouble I've seen.

28. All of the CDs, even the scratched one, (is, are) in this case.

29.Among the animals, turtles cling to their basic structural design, while many others
(is,are) experimenting their way to extinction.

30.Turtles are unique; each (has, have) eight cervical vertebrae, compared with seven of
most mammals.

EXERCISE 4
1. Your friendship over the years and your support (has /have) meant a great deal to us.
2. Hamilton Family Center, a shelter for teenage runaways in San Francisco, (offers/offer) a
wide variety of services.
3. The main source of income for Trinidad (is/are) oil and pitch.
4. The chances of your being promoted (is/are) excellent.
5. There (was/were) a Pokémon card stuck to the refrigerator.
6. Neither the professor nor his assistants (was/were) able to solve the mystery of the eerie
glow in the laboratory.
7. Many hours at the driving range (has/have) led us to design golf balls with GPS locators in
them.
8. Discovered in the soil of our city garden (was/were) a button dating from the Civil War
dating from the turn of the century.
9. Every year, during the midsummer festival, the smoke of village bonfires (fills/fill) the sky.
10. The story performers (was/were) surrounded by children and adults eager to see magical
tales.

EXERCISE 5
1. talks
2. looks
3. swim
4. drives
5. run
6. lives
7. cooks
8. walk
9. appears
10. bounces
 EXERCISE 6
1. look
2. was
3. is
4. is
5. are
6. are
7. has
8. observes
9. is
10. were
11. come
12. has
13. was
14. come
15. have

EXERCISE 7
1. visit
2. are
3. need
4. are
5. were
6. come
7. delivers
8. works
9. are
10. were
11. are
12. was
13. is
14. were
15. are

EXERCISE 8

Choose the correct form of the verb for the following sentence:

1: Everyone (has/have/will/were) done his or her homework.

Ans: has

2. Each of the students (is/are/will/be) responsible for doing his or her work.

Ans: is

3. Either my father or my brothers (is/are/will/be) going to sell the car.

Ans: are

4. Neither my sisters nor my mother (is/are/will/be) going to sell the house.

Ans: is

5. The samples on the tray in the lab (need/needs/is need/are need) testing.

Ans: need

6. Mary and John usually (plays/play/are played/will play) together.

Ans: play

7. Both of the dogs (has/have is/are) collars.

Ans: have

8. Neither the dogs nor the cat (is/are/were/has) very hungry.

Ans: is

9. Either the girls or the boy (walk/walks/ are walked/is walked) in the evening.

Ans: walks

10. Either the boy or the girls (walk/walks/are walked/is walked) in the evening.

Ans: walk

11. None of the salesmen _____________ to help me.

A. does want
B. Wants
C. wanted
D. want

12. My entire supply of checks __________ missing.

A. Was
B. Were
C. are
D. had

13. The data ______ published by the government.

A. Was
B. Were
C. is
D. has

14. The rangers, the explorers, or the camper _________ the bear.

A. See
B. Sees
C. seen
D. None of the above

15. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring _____ more than just a
nuisance.
A. Is
B. Are
C. were
D. had

16. Every pale tomato slice, wilted pickle, and brown lettuce leaf __________ an extra 25
cents at Bernie’s Burger Emporium.
A. costs B. cost C. costed D. had cost
17. Not only the Smiths but also Tonya __________ agreed to try one of the world-famous
chocolate-broccoli muffins.
A. has B. have C. had D. has been
18. The Smiths, along with Tonya, _________ to avoid indigestion after eating these weird
muffins.
A. hopes B. hope C. hoped D. had hoped
19. On the sidewalk _________ many little lizards sunning themselves on the hot concrete.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
20. Even though Antonio has many friends who love their Chevrolets and Buicks, he has
always believed that General Motors __________ lemons.
A. makes B. make C. made D. had made
21. My dog Floyd, together with Buster the cat, __________ to play with money; the cat
swats crumpled bills onto the floor where the dog shreds them to pieces.
A. likes B. like C. liked D. had liked
22. Latoya isn't going to Daytona Beach for spring break because fourteen dollars
__________ all that she has in her vacation fund.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
23. Even though Johnson and Johnson _________ consumers not to insert Q-tips into their
ears, people refuse to read directions and frequently rupture their eardrums.
A. warns B. warn C. warned D. had warned
24. All of my important keys __________ now stuck in the drain pipe of my bathroom sink.
Buster, my kitten, doesn't realize how much his playfulness inconveniences me.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
25. Grandpa claims that Martian measles _________ green and purple spots to erupt all
over a person's body.
A. causes B. cause C. will cause D. had caused
26. Digging holes in the sofa cushions __________ Peanut, Elizabeth’s new puppy.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
27. Even though the jury _________ to believe that the defendant did not feed Elvis to the
Loch Ness Monster, much of the evidence points to her guilt.
A. wants B. want C. wanted D. are wanting
28. Neither the students nor their instructor __________ happy with the long cafeteria line
for squid eyeball stew.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
29. Neither of Freud’s parents _________ much intelligence when it comes to choosing
spouses. Freud’s father has married five times, and Mom just presented him with
stepfather number three.
A. has B. have C. are showing D. had
30. The brothers as well as their sister …………………… .. good at their studies.
A. is B. Are C.Have D. was
31. Here ___________ the mail and newspapers that I picked up for you while you were
on vacation.
A. is B. are C. was D. be
32. Mr. Lowry, our English teacher, believes that students who major in economics or
physics __________ their imaginations.
A. ruins B. ruin C. has ruined D. ruined
33. ___________ no one except Marge and Beatrice have the subject-verb agreement
exercises that Ms. Koopman assigned for today?
A. does B. do C. did D. has
34. Every cereal bowl and casserole dish _________ slipped out of Sheila’s soapy hands
and shattered on the hard tile of the kitchen floor. Sheila really needs to buy a dishwasher.
A. has B. have C. will have D. had
35. General Foods, the maker of Cheerios, ___________ developed a new cereal with
chocolate puffs and broccoli-flavored marshmallows.
A. has B. have C. had D. is
36. Each man, woman, and child __________ to write General Foods a letter supporting
the company's decision to produce a chocolate-broccoli breakfast cereal.
A. needs B. need C. needed D. will need
37. There ___________ more calories in a bowl of chocolate-broccoli breakfast cereal than
you might think.
A. is B. are C. will be D. were
38. Not only the vitamin C from the broccoli but also the delicious taste of the chocolate
___________ this breakfast cereal a real crowd pleaser.
A. makes B. make C. made D. will make
39. Who needs a pet if you live in Florida? There already __________ lizards that sneak in
between the window screens and cockroaches that take up residence in every bathroom
and kitchen.
A. is B. are C. has been D. had been
40. Susan is one of those students who ___________ up to the instructor every chance
that they get.
A. kisses B. kiss C. kissed D. has kissed
41. The dead trees and peeling paint, along with the broken windows and flapping
shutters, __________ everyone believe that evil spirits haunt the deserted Sinclair house.
A. made B. has made C. makes D. make
42. Where __________ the earrings that I left by the bathroom sink? Oh no! That stupid
cat has swatted them down the drain again!
A. was B. were C. is D. are
43. Neither of those sharks circling your boogie board __________ hungry enough to bite.
A. looks B. look C. looked D. had looked
44. One hundred and fifty gallons __________ the amount of liquid the average living
room rug can absorb. Rachel discovered this fact after taking a long shower when the
curtain wasn't tucked inside the tub.
A. is B. are C. was D. were
45. Agnes never loses a single possession. Everyone knows what belongs to her, for each
pen, pencil, and paperclip __________ a tiny flag attached with Agnes' full name on it.
A. will have B. has C. have D. had
46. Asteroids and comets slamming into Earth __________ Marge; she tries to remain
under the protective cover of her roof as much as possible.
A. worries B. worry C. worried D. used to worry
47. Someone—perhaps Emmanuel or Paul—__________ the right wine to serve with
earthworm lasagna.
A. knew B. will know C. knows D. know
48. These scissors __________ so dull that I'm not sure you could slice butter with them!
A. is B. are C. has been D. had been
49. Physics __________ proven to be Jerry's easiest subject this semester. He brings
Carol, the lab assistant, an oatmeal-raisin cookie, and, as his reward, she finishes his
report.
A. has B. have C. had D. will have
50. The good jewelry Dad gave Sara for graduation __________ more than the cheap
leather wallet that David got as his reward for finishing high school.
A. costs B. cost C. will cost D. had cost
 EXERCISE 9

Replace the underlined portion with the answer choice that results in a sentence
that is clear, precise, and meets the requirements of standard written English
1.The first of the shows were much tamer than the shows that came later.
A. the shows was much tamer
B. the shows were much tamest
C. the show's were much tamer
D. the shows were much tamer

2. The argument over the scandal and the authority of the governor have intensified
greatly.
A. whether the governor has authority has
B. the authority of the governor have
C. the authority of the governor has
D. the governor's authority have

3.The treatment of animals in laboratories have become a controversial issue in recent

years.
A. have become
B. had becoming
C. has become
D. have been becoming

4. Each of the teenagers have a brand new cellular phone.

A. Each teenager have
B. Each, of the teenagers, have
C. Each of the teenagers has
D. Each of the teenagers have

5. The teenager, along with her classmates, object to the school's use of uniforms
beginning next year.
A. The teenager, along with her classmates, objects
B. The teenager along with her classmates objects
C. The teenager along with her classmates, objects
D. The teenager along with her classmates object

6. The most challenging thing for young musicians are to listen to the rest of the ensemble.
A. are to listen
B. is to listen
C. are listen
D. are listening
7. The oldest of the veterans hold a special place of honor in the group.
A. the veterans hold the special place
B. the veteran's hold a special place
C. the veterans hold a special place
D. the veterans holds a special place

8. The leader of the football players make all decisions for the entire group.
A. the football players were making all decisions
B. the football players makes all decisions
C. the football players to make all decisions
D. the football players make all decisions

9. Each of the students were sick last week, so the professor cancelled the lecture.
A. Each of the students have been sick last week, so the professor cancelled
the lecture.
B. Each of the students were sick last week, so the professor cancelled the lecture.
C. Each of the students were sick last week, and so the professor cancelled
the lecture.
D. Each of the students was sick last week, so the professor cancelled the lecture.

10. The new bylaws of the organization was ratified by a unanimous vote yesterday.
A. The new bylaws from the organization was
B. The new bylaws for the organization was
C. The new bylaws of the organization were
D. The new bylaws of the organization was

EXERCISE 10

1. B
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. b