Here are 50 challenging examples of subject-verb agreement, along with their answers:
1. The group of students (is/are) studying for the exam.
Answer: is
2. Each of the apples (is/are) ripe.
Answer: is
3. One of the boys (was/were) selected for the team.
Answer: was
4. The sound of the drums (echo/echoes) through the valley.
Answer: echoes
5. Not only the students but also the teacher (is/are) excited for the field trip.
Answer: is
6. The pair of shoes (is/are) on sale.
Answer: is
7. Fifty dollars (seem/seems) like a lot of money to spend on a meal.
Answer: seems
8. The herd of elephants (moves/move) slowly across the savannah.
Answer: moves
9. Each of the girls (has/have) her own unique talent.
Answer: has
10. The committee (discuss/discusses) the issue at their meeting.
Answer: discusses
11. The quality of the products (has/have) improved over time.
Answer: has
12. Ten miles (is/are) a long distance to walk.
Answer: is
13. The news about the accident (was/were) shocking.
Answer: was
14. Mathematics (is/are) my favorite subject.
Answer: is
15. The number of participants (is/are) increasing every year.
Answer: is
16. The list of names (was/were) read aloud by the presenter.
Answer: was
17. The staff (work/works) diligently to meet their targets.
Answer: work
18. The majority of the team (is/are) in favor of the new strategy.
Answer: is
19. Neither of the options (appeal/appeals) to me.
Answer: appeals
20. A number of books (was/were) borrowed from the library.
Answer: were
21. Politics (is/are) a divisive topic of discussion.
Answer: is
22. My collection of stamps (is/are) displayed in the living room.
Answer: is
23. The quality, as well as the price, (play/plays) a role in my decision.
Answer: plays
24. The jury (deliberate/deliberates) for hours before reaching a verdict.
Answer: deliberates
25. The sound of sirens (pierce/pierces) the silence of the night.
Answer: pierces
26. Neither the teacher nor the students (know/knows) the answer.
Answer: know
27. The committee members (disagree/disagrees) on the best approach.
Answer: disagree
28. His collection of coins (is/are) valuable.
Answer: is
29. The majority of the apples (is/are) rotten.
Answer: are
30. The number of attendees (has/have) exceeded our expectations.
Answer: has
31. Her knowledge of languages (impress/impresses) everyone.
Answer: impresses
32. The series of books (is/are) very popular among young readers.
Answer: is
33. Three-quarters of the cake (has/have) been eaten.
Answer: has
34. The committee (has/have) not yet reached a decision.
Answer: has
35. The variety of colors (add/adds) beauty to the painting.
Answer: adds
36. A lot of effort (go/goes) into organizing the event.
Answer: goes
37. The United Nations (is/are) an international organization.
Answer: is
38. The number of people invited (was/were) significant.
Answer: was
39. The swarm of bees (create/creates) a buzzing sound.
Answer: creates
40. The pile of books (need/needs) to be sorted.
Answer: needs
41. Neither John nor his friends (is/are) available to attend the party.
Answer: is
42. The staff (consists/consist) of experienced professionals.
Answer: consists
43. The variety of apples (come/comes) in different colors.
Answer: comes
44. The jury (was/were) unable to reach a unanimous decision.
Answer: was
45. The cost of living (has/have) increased in recent years.
Answer: has
46. The series of events (lead/leads) to an unexpected outcome.
Answer: leads
47. The number of accidents (is/are) decreasing due to better road safety measures.
Answer: is
48. The majority of the students (prefers/prefer) online classes.
Answer: prefer
49. A group of children (play/plays) in the park every afternoon.
Answer: plays
50. Not only the flowers but also the trees (bloom/blooms) in spring.
Answer: bloom
Subject-verb agreement is crucial to maintain proper sentence structure and clarity in writing. It is essential to pay close attention to the subject and ensure that the verb agrees with it in number and person. Continued practice and exposure to various sentence patterns will help you master subject-verb agreement effectively.
