17 de agosto de 2023
Categoria: Sem categoria Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule of grammar that can make or break a sentence`s meaning and clarity. Unfortunately, getting it right can be tricky, even for native English speakers. In this article, we`ll take a closer look at some tricky subject-verb agreement quizzes and how to crack them like a pro.
Quiz 1: The team (is/are) playing well this season.
Tricky factor: collective nouns
Collective nouns refer to groups of individuals, but they are singular in nature. Hence, the correct verb form is “is”. Examples of collective nouns include team, family, group, committee, and crowd.
Quiz 2: Neither the teacher nor the students (was/were) satisfied with the test results.
Tricky factor: subject pairs connected by or/neither…nor
Here, the sentence has two subjects, and the verb should agree with the subject closest to it. “Neither” is a negative word, so the verb form should be “were”. Similarly, when using “or”, the verb should agree with the subject closest to it.
Quiz 3: Each of the girls (has/have) a different talent.
Tricky factor: each, every, either, neither
Words like “each”, “every”, “either”, and “neither” are singular in nature, so the correct verb form is “has”. They refer to individual entities.
Quiz 4: The news from the front (is/are) alarming.
Tricky factor: collective vs. plural noun
In this example, “news” is a collective noun, but it refers to a collection of different pieces of information. Therefore, it may take either a singular or plural verb form depending on what is being referred to. In this case, the correct verb form is “is” as the reference is singular.
Quiz 5: One of the cars in the lot (needs/need) a wash.
Tricky factor: dependent on prepositional phrases
Prepositional phrases, such as “in the lot”, give additional information about the subject. They do not change the subject-verb agreement. Therefore, the correct verb form is “needs”.
Subject-verb agreement is a vital aspect to master in English grammar. Always make sure that the verb form agrees with the subject in both number and person. Keep these tips in mind, and you`ll be sure to ace any tricky subject-verb agreement quiz that comes your way.