Confused about where the verb should agree with the subject? This post provides a comprehensive answer key with clear, step-by-step explanations for our Subject-Verb Agreement MCQ exercise, specifically designed for MDCAT and NUMS aspirants. Each explanation breaks down the grammar rules behind the correct option, helping you understand singular and plural subjects, tricky structures, and common test traps. Strengthen your grammar concepts, avoid mistakes, and prepare effectively for the English portion of MDCAT & NUMS with this detailed guide!
Q.1
Correct option: C. Is
Explanation: The subject “Every man, woman, and child” is singular because “every” makes it a collective singular noun. Therefore, the singular verb “is” agrees with the singular subject.
Q.2
Correct option: B. Costs
Explanation: The subject “Each item” is singular, so the verb must also be singular. “Costs” is the correct singular form of the verb.
Q.3
Correct option: A. is
Explanation: The phrase “My friend, philosopher, and guide” refers to a single person holding all three roles, making the subject singular. Thus, the singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.4
Correct option: B. makes
Explanation: Mathematical expressions like “Two plus two” are treated as singular subjects. Therefore, the singular verb “makes” is used.
Q.5
Correct option: C. Speak
Explanation: The subject “Sixty percent of the students” is plural because it refers to a countable group of students. The plural verb “speak” agrees with the plural subject.
Q.6
Correct option: D. Are
Explanation: “Four-fifths of the spectators” refers to a countable group, making the subject plural. The plural verb “are” is correct.
Q.7
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: The subject “Forty percent of the work” is singular because “work” is uncountable. The singular verb “was” agrees with the singular subject.
Q.8
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: “One-half of the beer” refers to an uncountable quantity, making the subject singular. The singular verb “was” is correct.
Q.9
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: Amounts of money, like “Fifty dollars,” are treated as singular subjects. Therefore, the singular verb “is” is used.
Q.10
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “War and Peace” is the title of a single book, making the subject singular. The singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.11
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: Periods of time, like “Forty-five minutes,” are treated as singular subjects. The singular verb “is” agrees with the singular subject.
Q.12
Correct option: C. Were
Explanation: “A majority of the class 9” refers to a countable group of students, making the subject plural. The plural verb “were” is correct.
Q.13
Correct option: B. are
Explanation: “A number of children” refers to multiple children, making the subject plural. The plural verb “are” agrees with the plural subject.
Q.14
Correct option: D. Spend
Explanation: The subject “She and I” is plural, so the plural verb “spend” is correct.
Q.15
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: Periods of time, like “Two hours,” are treated as singular subjects. The singular verb “is” is used.
Q.16
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “Mathematics” is a singular subject, so the singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.17
Correct option: A. Make
Explanation: “The police” is a plural noun, so the plural verb “make” is correct.
Q.18
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “Fifty percent of the book” refers to a singular subject (“book”), so the singular verb “is” is used.
Q.19
Correct option: B. is
Explanation: “The number of students” is a singular subject, so the singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.20
Correct option: A. need
Explanation: “The blind” refers to a group of people, making the subject plural. The plural verb “need” is correct.
Q.21
Correct option: A. has
Explanation: The subject “Population growth in addition to other problems” is singular because the main noun “growth” is singular. The singular verb “has” is correct.
Q.22
Correct option: A. is
Explanation: “Many a man” is a singular phrase, so the singular verb “is” is used.
Q.23
Correct option: B. Prefer
Explanation: “The majority of people” refers to a countable group, making the subject plural. The plural verb “prefer” is correct.
Q.24
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “A lot of the information” refers to an uncountable noun (“information”), making the subject singular. The singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.25
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “The news” is a singular noun, so the singular verb “is” is used.
Q.26
Correct option: B. Are
Explanation: “Half of the boxes” refers to countable items, making the subject plural. The plural verb “are” is correct.
Q.27
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “One third of the program” refers to a singular subject (“program”), so the singular verb “is” is used.
Q.28
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: The subject “a list of classes” is singular, so the singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.29
Correct option: B. Are
Explanation: “Too many students” is a plural subject, so the plural verb “are” is correct.
Q.30
Correct option: B. Meets
Explanation: “The committee of parliamentarians” is treated as a singular collective noun, so the singular verb “meets” is used.
Q.31
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: The subject “Shakespeare” is singular, and the phrase “as well as other English playwrights” does not change the subject’s singularity. The singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.32
Correct option: B. Consumes
Explanation: The subject “The task of reading essays” is singular, so the singular verb “consumes” is correct.
Q.33
Correct option: C. Varies
Explanation: The subject “The behaviour of the children” is singular, so the singular verb “varies” is correct.
Q.34
Correct option: A. Has
Explanation: The subject “The faculty head” is singular, and the intervening phrase “together with her senior staff and their secretary” does not change the subject’s singularity. The singular verb “has” is correct.
Q.35
Correct option: A. Has
Explanation: The subject “The percentage of dropouts” is singular, so the singular verb “has” is correct.
Q.36
Correct option: B. Buys
Explanation: Amounts of money, like “Two thousand dollars,” are treated as singular subjects. The singular verb “buys” is correct.
Q.37
Correct option: D. Were
Explanation: “The spectacles” refers to a pair of glasses, which is a plural noun, so the plural verb “were” is correct.
Q.38
Correct option: A. Attends
Explanation: The subject “Nobody” is singular, so the singular verb “attends” is correct.
Q.39
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: “Seven Little Australians” is the title of a single book, making the subject singular. The singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.40
Correct option: D. Want
Explanation: In “not only…but also” constructions, the verb agrees with the closest subject (“the employees”), which is plural. The plural verb “want” is correct.
Q.41
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: The phrase “Two slices of toast and coffee” is treated as a singular meal, so the singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.42
Correct option: D. Agree
Explanation: “Majority of the board members” refers to a countable group, making the subject plural. The plural verb “agree” is correct.
Q.43
Correct option: B. Likes
Explanation: In “neither…nor” constructions, the verb agrees with the closest subject (“my mother”), which is singular. The singular verb “likes” is correct.
Q.44
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: “Physics” is a singular subject, so the singular verb “was” is correct.
Q.45
Correct option: A. Is
Explanation: In “neither…nor” constructions, the verb agrees with the closest subject (“an advanced English literature course”), which is singular. The singular verb “is” is correct.
Q.46
Correct option: C. Has
Explanation: The subject “The student” is singular, so the singular verb “has” is correct.
Q.47
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: The subject “The gorilla” is singular, and the intervening phrase “along with two monkeys, a kangaroo, and a white bird” does not change the subject’s singularity. The singular verb “was” is correct.
Q.48
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: The subject “A box of cigarettes” is singular, so the singular verb “was” is correct.
Q.49
Correct option: B. Are
Explanation: In “either…or” constructions, the verb agrees with the closest subject (“the blue cork boards”), which is plural. The plural verb “are” is correct.
Q.50
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: “The academic committee” is treated as a singular collective noun, so the singular verb “was” is correct.
