Subject-Verb Agreement Quiz

Everyone in the stadium _______ (wave) excitedly at the band members as they walk in.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'waves' because 'everyone' is a singular subject. In present simple tense, we use 'waves' for he, she, it, and singular nouns.

Two ringgit _______ (be) the price to pay for a small bowl of shaved ice dessert in the canteen.

Answer explanation

The correct verb form is 'is' because 'two ringgit' is treated as a singular amount in this context, referring to a single price. Therefore, the sentence should read: 'Two ringgit is the price to pay for a small bowl of shaved ice dessert in the canteen.'

_______ (Do) anyone have the novel that Mr Ng was talking about during class?

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'Does' because it is the appropriate auxiliary verb to use with 'anyone' in a question. 'Does' agrees with the singular subject 'anyone', making the sentence grammatically correct.

Both my brother and sister _______ (want) to go to the concert but I just _______ (want) to stay at home with my computer games.

• want

• wants

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'want' because it agrees with the plural subject 'my brother and sister'. The verb 'want' is used for plural subjects, while 'wants' is singular. Therefore, 'Both my brother and sister want to go...' is correct.

A huge swarm of locusts _______ (have) destroyed the crops.

Answer explanation

The subject 'a huge swarm' is singular, so the correct verb form is 'has' instead of 'have'. Therefore, the correct sentence is 'A huge swarm of locusts has destroyed the crops.'

The committee _______ (have) asked for sandwiches for lunch. They _______ (have) to leave early.

• has

• have

Answer explanation

The committee is a collective noun treated as singular, so 'has' is correct. However, in the second part, 'they' refers to the members of the committee, which is plural, so 'have' is appropriate.

The committee, which was formed in 2012, _______ (be) made up of four men and four women.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'is' because the committee is a singular noun. The present tense 'is' agrees with the singular subject, indicating that the committee currently consists of four men and four women.

The sheep _______ (run) across the field with Lassie the shepherd dog chasing them.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'run' because 'sheep' is a plural noun. The sentence describes an ongoing action, so the present tense 'run' is appropriate.

2 hours _______ (be) the time required for an aeroplane to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. But, driving there _______ (take) about 18 and a half hours. The distance of 1,472km _______ (be) not a joke.

• is

• takes

• is

Answer explanation

The correct verb forms are 'is' for the time required (2 hours is the time) and 'takes' for the duration of driving (driving takes about 18.5 hours). The distance is also described with 'is' (the distance is not a joke).

Each new ice cream flavour _______ (be) made with Uncle Jerry's help.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'is' because the sentence requires the present simple tense to indicate a general truth about how each new ice cream flavor is made, using the verb 'to be' in the third person singular form.