SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT QUESTIONS

 

Subject-Verb Agreement

Fill in the blanks choosing the correct forms of the verbs given in the brackets:

Exercise: 1

1. Rabies ………….. a dangerous disease. (is/are)

2. Economics ………….. my favourite subject. (is/are)

3. Ten thousand rupees …………… a good sum of money. (is/are)

4. None but the brave…………… the fair. (deserves/deserve)

5. Which of those pens................. yours? (is/are)

6. Either Nisha or her sisters……………at fault. (is/are)

7. The dancer and singer …………..arrived. (has/have)

8. Each of the boys ………….given an apple (was/were)

9. A large number of children ………..present at the function. (was/were)

10. "Gulliver's Travels" ………. written by Jonathan Swift. (was/were)

 

Exercise: 2

1. The great poet and singer ……….. dead. (is/are)

2. Many a man his life………made a mistake in life. (has/have)

3. The king and his courtiers ………..present at the games. (was/were)

4. One of the girls ………..caught by the police. (was/were)

5. Two and two……………four. (makes/make)

6. He and I…………great friends. (am/are)

7. Bread and butter………….a necessity (is/are)

8 Slow and steady…………..the race. (win/wins)

9. Every boy and every girl………… to pass the entrance test. (have/has)

10. Each and every guest………..terrified. (was/were)

Exercise: 3

1. Each day and each hour………. us joy. (bring/brings)

2. The priest and the leader……… come. (has/have)

3. The poet and statesman………… been elected. (have/has)

4. Neither food nor water found……… to be here. (are/is)

5. Either you or he …………..correct. (are/is)

6. Neither Jatin nor his friends…………… to blame. (is/are)

7. The Parliament………. elected the speaker. (has/have)

8. There……….. a large number of pupils in the class. (are/is)

9. The king with all his sons………….. greeted by the people. (was/were)

10. Everyone……………provided with blankets. (was/were)

Exercise: 4

1. Either of the two leaders………….competent. (is/are)

2. Many a flower…………unseen. (blossom/blossoms)

3. The quality of the mangoes ……………good. (is/are)

4. One of his speeches………….been circulated. (has/have)

5. The cost of all the food articles…………risen. (has/have)

6. Either Ritesh or Yash………….invited. (was/were)

7. Neither my friend nor I…………played the mischief. (has/have)

8. The thieves…………. punished for their thievery.  (was/ were)

9. A large number of students ……..caught playing in the sun. (is/are)

10. Rakesh, as well as his friends, ………….passed the examination. (has/have)

Exercise: 5

1. Neither of the two friends …………passed the test. (have/has)

2. The Principal and the Secretary ……….in the school. (was/were)

3. Neither tea nor sugar………….sold here. (is/are)

4. A large number of people…………present at the meeting. (was/were)

5. Each of these boys………..found innocent. (was/were)

6. Neither the students nor the teacher ………… going on a picnic. (is/are)

7. This amount of grapes………….enough for a child. (is/are)

8. Everyone of the people present at the function……………safe. (was/were)

9. Either Nupur or her friends …………involved in this matter. (is/are)

10. Physics ………..a royal subject. (is/are)

 

Exercise: 6

 

1. Emily and Greg……….to my house every Friday for lunch. (comes, come)

2. There ............. time to watch the movie. (is, are)

3. My friends who are in the band……….me to play a musical instrument. (wants, want)

4. My father or my brothers……….. coming with me to the ball game. (is, are)

5. Everyone………….. time to relax. (needs, need)

6. That bag of oranges…………….fresh. (looks, look)

7. Our team………….. to win the tournament next week. (hopes, hope)

8. Your trousers………….. to be cleaned. (needs, need)

9. Some of the books on the shelf…………dusty. (is, are)

10. Even though the students like the teacher, a few complicated……. that he is too strict. (thinks, think)

 

Exercise: 7

 

1. Mumps among the adults………….not common. , (is, are)

2. Viruses too ………….diseases. (cause,causes)

3. Most of the sand ………..wet due to the high tide . (is, are)

4. Either you or your friends………..invited. (is, are)

5. A subject of great interest………… rainforests. (is, are)

6. Hansel and Gretel……….. a famous children's story. (is, are)

7. The team members........arguing over the defence tactics. (was, were)

8. Economics…………… attract many students today. (do not, does not)

9. Why................ your parents going to Africa for a vacation? (is, are)

10. The Mayor and the Governor………….the bill. (support, supports)

 

Exercise: 8

 

1. The books of the library.........to be returned by Friday. (need, needs)

2. The child with the parents………. often Disney movies. (watch, watches)

3. Neither the child nor the parents often……….  Disney movies. (watch, watches)

4. The child as well as the parents………. often Disney movies. (watch, watches)

5. Either Malati or her brothers ………..seen the accident. (have, has)

6. The crowd in the gallery………. cheering Indian team. (were, was)

7. Today’s politics………….been very complicated. (have, has)

8. Besides Rohit, Mohit……………also found guilty. (were, was)

9. The Hard Times………… one of my favourite books. (is/are)

10. Measles…………through air. (spread, spreads)

 

Exercise: 9

1. Neither the cat nor its kittens……….found in the yard. (are, is)

2. It is you who…….. spoiled the game. (have, has)

3. The long and short of the matter………….this. . (are, is)

4. Which of these shirts ……….yours?  (are, is)

5. Together with the garden, the stable……….. attached to the house. (are, is)

6. This bunch of bananas ....... rotten. (are, is)

7. The leader with all his followers……….. sent to the prison. (were, was)

8. It is I who ……….to be blamed for this. (is, am)

9. Each of the men………..to have his say. (have, has)

10. He is one of those men who always...............of others' good. (think, thinks)

Exercise: 10

 

1. You as well as he............. ruined. (is/are)

2. Each man and each woman ……….. been given a silver coin. (have/has)

3. Everyone or the other………….. his troubles sometime. (have/has)

4. Each of the suspected men ………………….been arrested. (have/has)

5. For him, art………………the basis of his life. (is/are)

6. All possible means …………….been tried. (have/has)

7. None................. so blind as those that will not see. (is/are)

8. He is a fool, or else I............... . . (is/am)

9. No nook or corner............ left unexplored. (is/are)

10. The scenery here.............. very good. (is/are)

11. A hundred years …………….called a century. (is/are)

12. The women with a child ………………seen walking along the road. (was/were)

13. Sixty rupees………… not enough to buy that dress. (is/are)

14. One of the pupils in our class…………… a scooter. (own/owns)

15. You as well as he……………. the secret. (know/knows)

16. The tallest of three boys…………….. near the bank. (live/lives)

17 Fish and chips………………….. my favourite food. (is/are)

18. It is I who…………………….. right. (is/am)

19. Each of us……………….. several duties to perform. (has/have)

20. Neither the bus nor  the trains…………….. running today. (is/are)

11 Time and tide……………. for no man. (wait/waits)

12 Mumps……………… an infectious disease. (is/are)

13 Twelve minus six……………… six. (is/are)

14 The whole of cattle……………….. to be sold. (are/is)

15. What…………………….. phonetics? (is/are)

16. A large number of women…………….. present at the meeting. (was/were)

17. Either you or he…………….. done it. (has/have)

18. Early to bed and early to rise………………… a man healthy and wealthy. (make / makes)

19. Three-fourths of the house………………. burnt to ashes. (was/were)

20. The great poet and novelist……………… dead .(is/are)

N. B. The above questions have been collected from different books.

SDM'S KEY TO "JOIN THE SENTENCES ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN."

 

1. Join the sentences by using who, whose, whom, which, what, that etc to a Relatively clause.
 
1. Columbus, who was the discoverer of America, died in 1506.
2. Gravity is a force which attracts objects towards the centre.
3. This is a tool which is used for cutting metal.
4. English is a language that is spoken all over the world.
5. This is the place where the poet Rabindranath was born.
6. Nehru said to his daughter to report that to her friend.
7. Rabindranath, who composed 'Gitanjali', is a great poet.
8. The fox saw some grapes which were hanging from a vine.
9. The air surrounds us which consists of various elements.
10. The man, whom you met last night, is a soldier.

2. Join the sentences by using if or while:

1. A plant will not grow if the roots are cut off.
2. Shila cut her finger while she was sharpening the pencil.
3. The boy met with an accident while he was crossing the road.
4. What will happen to you if you take too much food?
5. They will reach here early if they come by train.
6. Anne gave Helen a doll to hold in one hand while she spelt 'doll' in the other.

3. Join the sentences using and, but, so, or, either...or, neither...nor:
 
1. John worked hard, so he did very well in the exam.
2. Edison is good at Mathematics, but he is bad at English.
3. Jahanara has read the story, but she can't remember the title.
4. Birbahadur started late, but he reached school just in time.
5. Is the red one or the black one your pen?
6. Shall I write to mother or you will tell her?
7. We may go either to market or to the playground.
8. Bina takes neither tea nor milk. 

4. Join the following sentences by using that, who, whose, whom, what, which, when, where, how etc.

1. Do you know the place where he was born?
2. He told me that he passed the examination.  
3. I am sure that you have made no mistake.
4. I know that it will rain.
5. We know that she is an intelligent girl.
6. Nobody knows the reason why Harish was weeping.

5. Join the following sentences and make Relative Clauses by using who, which, where, what, that etc.

1. She told me the address that I wrote down on a piece of paper.
2. The man, who answered the phone, told me that you were out.
3. I saw a car which was rushing past the park.
4. He, who is a soldier, must show discipline.
5. Do you know the place where Vidyasagar was born?
6. Here is the pencil that you lost yesterday.
7. Listen to what Teachers say.
8. The man, whom you saw the other day, is Mr. Bose's nephew.
9. Romario, who was in the Brazil team, got the Gold Football Award.
10. He gave me his textbooks which did me much good.
11. The girl, who is a friend of mine, is a good basketball player.
12. Mr. Kapoor is my uncle whom you saw yesterday.
13. A boy, who came to me yesterday, is my classmate.
14. Some frogs, which generally live in trees, can fly.
15. The Swallow, which was going to die, bade goodbye to the Happy Prince.

6. Join the sentences by using if, though, although, as, because, unless, till, until, as soon as, when. where etc.

1. Garbage, which remains uncollected for a long period, is dangerous to human health.
2. Although much work has been done in the field, the odour specialists have been unable to identify any primary smell.
3. Walter was ready to stand under the tree so that he could save his father.
4. He is so poor that he cannot buy his books.
5. As soon as I entered the room, I felt something was wrong.
6. The plant stopped feeding because it was shaded.
7. When the clock struck five, he finished his work.
8. Unless you come, I shall not go out.
9. Though he has been running a high temperature, he wishes to go to school.
10. When he jumped out of bed, the bell rang.
11. I cannot compete with you because you are stronger.
12. When I left the meeting, there was an awful noise there.
13. As soon as he learnt the fact, he was angry with himself.
14. Though you may be powerful, I am not afraid of you.
15. Although he stared at me long. he seemed never to have seen me before.

7. Join the following sentences to turn them into Compound Sentences:
 
1. Not only Sharmila but also Ayesha is a student of this school.
2. Rahaman is not a good student; nevertheless he is a good player.
3. You may either accept the offer or refuse it.
4. Neither I nor my brother knew anything of it.
5. You must either pay the price or return the goods.
6. The gardener was old; still he planted some mango trees in my uncle’s garden.
7. Rabin desired to help me in my difficulties, for he was my sincere friend.
8. The Headmaster not only thanked me but also rewarded me.
9. He is both dishonest and wicked to the backbone.

8. Join the following sentences by using 'ing', 'en', 'ed', Phrases or Infinitives:

1. On seeing me come, he ran away.
2. Being tired, he took rest for a while.
3. Entering the room, a thief had found the room empty.
4. He did not speak to me for being angry with me.
5. The Prime Minister addressed the meeting so as to seek every body's co-operation.
6. After losing his way, he wandered about from place to place.
7. I saw a wounded tiger.
8. Determined to oppose the bill, he stood up to speak.
9. He has many sons to educate.
10. He wishes to sell a car.
11. I have many friends here to stand by me.
12. I went there to help him.
13. He has a large family to maintain.
14. He is too weak to walk.
15. I am determined never to do it again.
 Copyright: Dr. Shankar D Mishra

JOIN THE SENTENCES ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN.

 

1. Join the sentences by using a Relative Clause:

[Using who, whose, whom, which, what, that etc.]

 

1.  Columbus died in 1506. He was the discoverer of America.

2. Gravity is a force. It attracts objects towards the centre.

3. This is a tool. It is used for cutting metal.

4. English is a language. It is spoken all over the world.

5. This is the place. There the poet Rabindranath was born.

6. Report it to your friend. Nehru said this to his daughter.

7. Rabindranath is a great poet. He composed 'Gitanjali'.

8. The fox saw some grapes. Those were hanging from a vine

9. The air surrounds us. It consists of various elements

10. You met the man last night. He is a soldier.

 

2. Join the sentences by using if or while:

 

1. A plant will not grow. The roots are cut off.

2. Shila cut her finger. She was sharpening the pencil.

3. The boy met with an accident. He was crossing the road.

4. What will happen to you? You take too much food?

5. They will reach here early. They come by train.

6. Anne gave Helen a doll to hold in one hand. She spelt 'doll' in the other.

 

3. Join the sentences using and, but, or, either...or, neither...nor:

 

1. John worked hard. He did very well in the exam.

2. Edison is good at Mathematics. He is bad at English.

3. Jahanara has read the story. She can't remember the title.

4. Birbahadur started late. He reached school just in time.

5. Is the red one your pen? Is the black one your pen?

6. Shall I write to mother? Will you tell her?

7. We may go to market. We may go to the playground.

8. Bina does not take tea. She does not take milk too.

4. Join the following sentences by using that, who, whose, whom, what, which, when, where, how etc.

1. Where was he born? Do you know the place?
2. He passed the examination. He told me this.

3. You have made no mistake. I am sure of it.
4. It will rain. I know that.
5. She is an intelligent girl. We know this.
6. Harish was weeping. Nobody knows the reason for his weeping.

5. Join the following sentences and make Relative Clauses by using who, which, where, what, that etc.

1. She told me the address. I wrote it down on a piece of paper.
2. The man answered the phone. He told me that you were out.
3. I saw a car. It was rushing past the park.

4. He is a soldier. He must show discipline.
5. Where was Vidyasagar born? Do you know the place?
6. Here is the pencil. You lost it yesterday.
7. Teachers say something. Listen to those things.
8. You saw the man the other day. He is Mr. Bose's nephew.

9. Romario got the Gold Football Award. He was in the Brazil team.

10. He gave me his textbooks. Those did me much good.

11. The girl is a friend of mine. She is a good basketball player.

12. Mr. Kapoor is my uncle. You saw him yesterday.

13. A boy came to me yesterday. He is my classmate.
14. Some frogs can fly. They generally live in trees.
15. The Swallow was going to die. He bade goodbye to the Happy Prince.

6. Join the sentences by using if, though, although, as, because, unless, till, until, as soon as, when. where etc.

1. Garbage is dangerous to human health. It remains uncollected for a long period.

2. Much work has been done in the field. The odour specialists have been unable to identify any primary smell.

3. Walter was ready to stand under the tree. He wanted to save his father.

4. He is poor. He cannot buy his books.

5. I entered the room. Immediately I felt something was wrong.

6. The plant was shaded. It stopped feeding.

7. The clock struck five. He finished his work then.

8. You should come. Otherwise I shall not go out.

9. He has been running a high temperature. He wishes to go to school.

10. He jumped out of bed. The bell rang then.

11. I cannot compete with you. You are stronger.

12. I left the meeting. There was an awful noise there.

13. He learnt the fact. He was then angry with himself.

14. You may be powerful. I am not afraid of you.

15. He stared at me long. He seemed never to have seen me before.

 

7. Join the following sentences to turn them into Compound Sentences:

 

1. Sharmila is a student of this school. Ayesha is also a student of this school.

2. Rahaman is not a good student. He is a good player.

3. You may accept the offer. You may refuse it.

4. I did not know anything of it. My brother also did not know anything of it.

5. You must pay the price. Otherwise you must return the goods.

6. The gardener was old. He planted some mango trees in my uncle’s garden.

7. Rabin desired to help me in my difficulties. He was my sincere friend.

8. The Headmaster thanked me. He rewarded me too.

9. He is dishonest. Moreover he is wicked to the backbone.

8. Join the following sentences by using 'ing', 'en', 'ed', Phrases or Infinitives:

1. He saw me come. He ran away.
2. He was tired. He took rest for a while.
3. A thief entered into the room. He had found the room empty.
4. He did not speak to me. He was angry with me.
5. The Prime Minister addressed the meeting. He asked for every body's co-operation.
6. He wandered about from place to place. He had lost his way.
7. I saw a tiger. It was wounded.
8. He stood up to speak. He had determined to oppose the bill.
9. He has many sons. He has to educate them.
10. He has a car. He wishes to sell it.
11. I have many friends here. They will stand by me.
12. I went there. My object was to help him.
13. He has a large family. He must maintain it.
14. He is very weak. He cannot walk.
15. I shall never do it again. I am determined.

N. B. The above questions have been collected from the book ‘Applied English Grammar & Composition’ by Dr. P.C. Das.

.

SDM'S KEY TO USE AND REMOVE AS SOON AS/NO SOONER……THAN/HARDLY…WHEN/SCARCELY….BEFORE.

 

USE NO SOONER……THAN:

Key to Exercise: 1

1. No sooner did his worker arrive than he started scolding him.

2. No sooner did I get the news than I left for Mumbai

3. No sooner does he complete his work than he goes to play.

4. No sooner did he saw his friend than he went to speak to him.

5. No sooner did he write the letter than he posted it.

 6. No sooner did the doctor arrive than the patient felt better.

7. No sooner did we reach the temple than the Aarati began.

8. No sooner did night approach than the street lights were switched on.

9. No sooner did he speak about her than she arrived.

10. No sooner did we enter the forest than we saw a tiger.

11. No sooner did the principal enter the hall than the students stood up.

 

Key to Exercise: 2

1. No sooner do the players return to the dressing room than the coach gives them tips.

2. No sooner do all the members gather than the meeting starts.

3. No sooner do the books come to the stores than students rush to buy.

4. No sooner do the flowers blossom than the bees come up to suck honey.

5. No sooner do the students complete their papers than they are allowed to go out

6. No sooner do the thieves notice the police than they flee.

7. No sooner do I get the paper than I start writing the answers.

8. No sooner does the baby cry than mother feeds.

9. No sooner were the papers corrected than the results were declared

10. No sooner was I in need than I asked my brother for help.

Remove “No sooner…than”.

Exercise: 1

1. As soon as he opened the letter, he started weeping.

2. As soon as he appeared on the stage, clapping started.

3. As soon as it was said, it was done.

4. As soon as the commander ordered, the soldiers started firing.

5. As soon as I reached home, it started raining.

6. As soon as he wrote the poem, he posted it on his timeline.

7. As soon as he saw her, he went to speak to her.

8. As soon as he does his work, he starts playing.

9. As soon as the teacher came into the class, the students stood up.

10. As soon as match ended, the prizes were given away.

Exercise: 2

1. As soon as we reached the pond, we jumped into it to swim.

2. As soon as the captain won the toss, he decided to bowl first.

3. As soon as we won the match, the president of the club congratulated us.

4. As soon as the girls put on their costumes, they danced.

5. As soon as the rabbit went to sleep, the tortoise crawled past the finish line.

6. As soon as the Chief Guest lighted the lamp, the audience clapped.

7. As soon as the choir started singing, the audience kept quiet.

8. As soon as the tiger sprang upon the goat, the hunter killed it.

9. As soon as I opened the book, I found what I was looking for.

10. As soon as he opened his shop, all his goods were sold out.

Use “Hardly…when”.

Key to Exercise: 1

1. Hardly had his worker arrived when he started scolding him.

2. Hardly had I got the news when I left for Mumbai

3. Hardly had he completed his work when he goes to play.

4. Hardly had he seen his friend when he went to speak to him.

5. Hardly had he written the letter when he posted it.

 6. Hardly had the doctor arrived when the patient felt better.

7. Hardly had we reached the temple when the Aarati began.

8. Hardly had night approached when the street lights were switched on.

9. Hardly had he spoken about her when she arrived.

10. Hardly had we entered the forest when we saw a tiger.

Use “Scarcely........before”.

Exercise: 1

1. Scarcely had we reached the pond before we jumped into it to swim.

2. Scarcely had the captain won the toss before he decided to bowl first.

3. Scarcely had we won the match before the president of the club congratulated us.

4. Scarcely had the girls put on their costumes before they danced.

5. Scarcely had the rabbit gone to sleep before the tortoise crawled past the finish line.

6. Scarcely had the Chief Guest lighted the lamp before the audience clapped.

7. Scarcely had the choir started singing before the audience kept quiet.

8. Scarcely had the tiger sprung upon the goat before the hunter killed it.

9. Scarcely had the rain stopped before the match resumed.

10. Scarcely had he opened his shop before all his goods were sold out.

Copyright: Dr. Shankar D Mishra