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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: D. Were, them
Explanation: “Statistics” can be singular or plural depending on context. Here, it refers to the subject as a collection of data (plural), so “were” is correct. “Them” is used because “statistics” is plural, referring to multiple data points.
Q.2
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “Politics” refers to a field of study or a general concept here, which is singular. Therefore, “is” is the correct verb form.
Q.3
Correct option: A. Was
Explanation: “Politics” is treated as a singular noun when referring to the academic subject or general concept, so “was” is correct.
Q.4
Correct option: B. Is, it
Explanation: “Linguistics” is a singular noun when referring to the field of study. “It” is the correct pronoun to refer back to the singular subject.
Q.5
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “The mechanics” refers to the process or method (singular), so “is” is the correct verb.
Q.6
Correct option: D. Are, their
Explanation: “Darts” is a game treated as a plural noun, so “are” is correct. “Their” is the possessive pronoun for the plural subject.
Q.7
Correct option: D. are
Explanation: “Police” is a collective noun treated as plural, so “are” is correct.
Q.8
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “Five weeks” is a period of time treated as a singular unit, so “is” is correct.
Q.9
Correct option: A. Has
Explanation: “One of the tourists” is singular, so “has” is the correct verb.
Q.10
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “Equipment” is an uncountable noun and always singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.11
Correct option: D. are
Explanation: “Flora and fauna” are two distinct groups, making the subject plural, so “are” is correct.
Q.12
Correct option: A. Was
Explanation: The subject is “the woman” (singular), and “together with her children” does not change the singular nature of the subject, so “was” is correct.
Q.13
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “Wealth” is an uncountable noun and singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.14
Correct option: D. were
Explanation: “Some reckless drivers” is plural, so “were” is correct.
Q.15
Correct option: D. are
Explanation: With “either…or,” the verb agrees with the closer subject (“you”), which is plural, so “are” is correct.
Q.16
Correct option: A. Has
Explanation: The subject is “the chairman” (singular), and “as well as his committee members” does not change the singular nature, so “has” is correct.
Q.17
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “US$3000” is a sum of money treated as singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.18
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “A lot of effort” refers to an uncountable quantity (singular), so “is” is correct.
Q.19
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “Watching too much television” is a gerund phrase acting as a singular subject, so “is” is correct.
Q.20
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: The subject is “it” (singular), and the sentence refers to a past event, so “was” is correct.
Q.21
Correct option: C. Was
Explanation: “No one” is singular, so “was” is correct.
Q.22
Correct option: A. Am
Explanation: With “neither…nor,” the verb agrees with the closer subject (“I”), so “am” is correct.
Q.23
Correct option: B. are
Explanation: “You and she” is a plural subject, so “are” is correct.
Q.24
Correct option: D. are
Explanation: With “either…or,” the verb agrees with the closer subject (“you”), which is plural, so “are” is correct.
Q.25
Correct option: A. Has
Explanation: “Furniture” is uncountable and singular, so “has” is correct.
Q.26
Correct option: B. Is
Explanation: “The herd of cattle” is a collective noun treated as singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.27
Correct option: D. went
Explanation: The sentence is in the past tense, and “went” is the correct past form of “go.”
Q.28
Correct option: C. has
Explanation: “Every child” is singular, and “has” is the correct verb for the present tense.
Q.29
Correct option: D. was crossing
Explanation: The past continuous tense “was crossing” is used to describe an action happening at a specific time in the past.
Q.30
Correct option: B. are
Explanation: The subject is “the boys” (plural), and “together with their teacher” does not change the plural nature, so “are” is correct.
Q.31
Correct option: D. have
Explanation: “A number of” is plural, so “have” is correct.
Q.32
Correct option: B. goes
Explanation: The earth’s movement is a general truth, so the present simple “goes” is correct.
Q.33
Correct option: B. dances
Explanation: The present simple “dances” is used to describe a general ability.
Q.34
Correct option: B. sweeps … listening
Explanation: The present simple “sweeps” and present participle “listening” are used to describe simultaneous actions.
Q.35
Correct option: B. is
Explanation: “The great poet and novelist” refers to one person (singular), so “is” is correct.
Q.36
Correct option: B. is
Explanation: “Which one” is singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.37
Correct option: A. was
Explanation: “Every leaf and every flower” is treated as singular, so “was” is correct.
Q.38
Correct option: B. have
Explanation: The relative clause “who have ever lived” refers to “poets” (plural), so “have” is correct.
Q.39
Correct option: B. have
Explanation: “The dacoit and his followers” is plural, so “have” is correct.
Q.40
Correct option: A. is
Explanation: “Each one” is singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.41
Correct option: C. has, are
Explanation: “That woman” is singular, so “has” is correct. “Both” refers to the children (plural), so “are” is correct.
Q.42
Correct option: A. go
Explanation: “A few girls” is plural, so “go” is correct.
Q.43
Correct option: A. is
Explanation: “All” refers to the singular concept of the global economy’s state, so “is” is correct.
Q.44
Correct option: A. is
Explanation: “All” refers to “wealth” (uncountable, singular), so “is” is correct.
Q.45
Correct option: B. writes
Explanation: “Neither” is singular, so “writes” is correct.
Q.46
Correct option: B. suits
Explanation: “Either” is singular, so “suits” is correct.
Q.47
Correct option: A. is
Explanation: “Neither of his two sons” is singular, so “is” is correct.
Q.48
Correct option: B. were
Explanation: With “neither…nor,” the verb agrees with the closer subject (“the Lecturers,” plural), so “were” is correct.
Q.49
Correct option: A. has
Explanation: The relative clause “who has lived” refers to “the only one” (singular), so “has” is correct.
Q.50
Correct option: B. needs
Explanation: The subject is “The International Club” (singular), and “as well as” does not change the singular nature, so “needs” is correct.
