Grammar Practice: Subject-Verb Agreement

Which of the following sentences is NOT correct? (Find the incorrect sentence)

• Everyone has done his or her homework.

• Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work.

• Either my father or my brothers is going to sell the car.

• Neither my sisters nor my mother is going to sell the house.

Which of the following sentences is NOT correct? (Find the incorrect sentence)

• The samples on the tray in the lab needs testing.

• Mary and John usually play together.

• Both of the dogs have collars.

• Neither the dogs nor the cat is very hungry.

Which of the following sentences is NOT correct? (Find the incorrect sentence)

• Either the girls or the boy walks in the evening.

• Either the boy or the girls walk in the evening.

• At the end of the fall come the hard tests.

• The slaughter of animals for fur has caused controversy.

Find the sentence that has correct subject-verb agreement.

• The student, as well as his teacher, was going on the field trip.

• The hard tests comes at the end of the fall.

• Both of my roommates has decided to live in the dorms.

• She and my mom is going to play a game.

Find the sentence that has correct subject-verb agreement.

• Just as Brandi spoke, the microphone turns on.

• Yesterday, we went to a great party in which they had acrobats from a famous circus. Andy arrived late to the party, so he misses the show.

• By the time they arrived yesterday, it stopped raining. After they unpacked, we headed downtown and visited an art museum with them.

• I watched the news last night and hear that my neighbor won the lottery last week. Now I understand why she moved out without saying good bye.

Find the sentence that has correct subject-verb agreement.

• In Vietnam, when a baby is born, there were many rules. When the baby is one month old, no one should visit him or her because it will make the baby sick, especially while he or she was sleeping.

• Kim and I have been working on a project for our English class for a month. It hasn’t been easy to work with her because she often said that she has other plans and can’t meet with me when I try to finish the project with her.

• The Chinese have many beliefs about dreams. When I was a kid, I usually dream of my grandmother after she passed away. I miss her so much, especially after I had those dreams. Then my mom went to the temple to entreat my grandmother to leave me alone.

• In China, people believe that if you see a black cat at night, you might experience something bad because they think a black cat is a sign of bad luck.

For the following problem, decide if the sentence could be improved. If it is correct, select NO CHANGE. Otherwise, choose the best way to improve the sentence:

When I argue with him to put the phone down and focus on the road, he are rude and yelled that nothing will happen.

• NO CHANGE

• When I argued with him to put the phone down and focus on the road, he are rude and yell that nothing will happen.

• When I argue with him to put the phone down and focus on the road, he is rude and yelled that nothing would happen.

• When I argued with him to put the phone down and focus on the road, he was rude and yelled that nothing would happen.

For the following problem, decide if the sentence could be improved. If it is correct, select NO CHANGE. Otherwise, choose the best way to improve the sentence:

We seldom spend much time in our rooms if we could help it.

• NO CHANGE

• We seldom spends much time in our rooms if we could help it.

• We seldom spend much time in our rooms if we can help it.

• We seldom spends much time in our rooms if we can help it.

For the following problem, decide if the sentence could be improved. If it is correct, select NO CHANGE. Otherwise, choose the best way to improve the sentence:

The seashore, where we can enjoy swimming or go snorkeling, beckoned.

• NO CHANGE

• The seashore, where we can enjoy swimming or went snorkeling, beckon.

• The seashore, where we can enjoy swimming or goes snorkeling, beckon.

• The seashore, where we can enjoys swimming or goes snorkeling, beckoned.

For the following problem, decide if the sentence could be improved. If it is correct, select NO CHANGE. Otherwise, choose the best way to improve the sentence:

In the evenings, we like to sit at the top of the dunes and watches the stars come out.

• NO CHANGE

• In the evenings, we likes to sit at the top of the dunes and watches the stars come out.

• In the evenings, we like to sit at the top of the dunes and watch the stars come out.

• In the evenings, we likes to sit at the top of the dunes and watch the stars come out.