Test Questions on Subject-Verb Agreement in Argumentative Contexts

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🔍 Identify the True Subject: The verb must agree with the true subject of the sentence, not with any intervening phrases (e.g., prepositional phrases, clauses) that might separate the subject from the verb.
• 💡 Ignore Intervening Phrases: Phrases like "as well as," "in addition to," "accompanied by," or "together with" do not change the number of the subject. The verb still agrees with the main subject.
• ⚖️ Collective Nouns: Collective nouns (e.g., team, committee, audience, majority) can be singular or plural depending on whether the group acts as a single unit (singular) or as individuals within the group (plural). In argumentative contexts, they often act as a unit.
• 🎯 Indefinite Pronouns: Some indefinite pronouns are always singular (e.g., everyone, nobody, something, each), while others are always plural (e.g., several, few, both, many). A few can be singular or plural depending on the noun they refer to (e.g., some, all, none).
• 🤝 Compound Subjects: Subjects joined by "and" are usually plural. Subjects joined by "or," "nor," "either...or," or "neither...nor" take a verb that agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.
• 📝 "The Number" vs. "A Number": "The number" (e.g., The number of students is growing) takes a singular verb. "A number" (e.g., A number of students are protesting) takes a plural verb.
• 💬 Inverted Sentences: When the subject follows the verb (e.g., in questions or sentences beginning with "there is/are"), identify the subject first and then make the verb agree.

🧠 Practice Quiz

• Question 1: The committee, despite strong disagreements among its members, ________ to present a unified report.
  A) plan
  B) plans
  C) are planning
  D) have planned
• Question 2: Neither the senator nor her aides ________ willing to compromise on the new legislation.
  A) is
  B) was
  C) are
  D) has been
• Question 3: A series of debates on the economic policy ________ scheduled for next month.
  A) are
  B) were
  C) is
  D) have been
• Question 4: The arguments presented by the opposition, which many believe ________ flawed, still resonate with some voters.
  A) is
  B) are
  C) was
  D) has been
• Question 5: Everyone involved in the policy discussions, including the dissenting voices, ________ to find common ground.
  A) hope
  B) hopes
  C) are hoping
  D) were hoping
• Question 6: More than one critic of the proposed budget ________ highlighted its potential negative impact on social programs.
  A) have
  B) has
  C) are
  D) were
• Question 7: The data supporting the new environmental regulations ________ quite compelling, according to independent researchers.
  A) is
  B) are
  C) were
  D) have been