Chapter 05 — Subject–verb agreement
Track: common | Study time: 75–100 minutes | Recall task: write the rule before checking the key.
Pareeksha English foundation notes
2. Subject-verb agreement
A singular subject takes a singular verb; a plural subject takes a plural verb.
Key rules:
- Words between the subject and the verb do not change the verb. "The box of mangoes is on the table."
- Subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb: "Rama and Sita are here." But if "and" joins two names of one person or one idea, the verb is singular: "Bread and butter is my breakfast." "The poet and critic is here" (one person).
- "Either...or", "neither...nor", "or", "nor": the verb agrees with the nearer subject. "Neither the boys nor the teacher is late." "Either the teacher or the boys are late."
- "As well as", "along with", "together with", "with", "in addition to": the verb agrees with the first subject. "The captain, along with his players, is here."
- Each, every, either, neither, one of, none (singular use), everyone, someone, anybody: singular verbs. "Each of the boys has a pen." "One of my friends is ill."
- A number of takes a plural verb; the number of takes a singular verb. "A number of students are absent." "The number of students is large."
- Collective nouns (team, committee, jury, class, family) take a singular verb when seen as one unit, and a plural verb when members act separately.
- Plural-form nouns with singular meaning: news, mathematics, physics, economics, politics, measles, innings. "The news is good." "Mathematics is a difficult subject."
- Nouns that are always plural: scissors, trousers, spectacles, clothes, people, police, cattle. "The police are searching." "The trousers are new."
- Amounts, distances and periods of time treated as one unit take a singular verb. "Ten kilometres is a long way." "Two hundred rupees is enough."
- "Many a" takes a singular verb: "Many a student has failed."
- In "there is/are" sentences, the verb agrees with the noun after it. "There are five books on the shelf."
- Relative pronouns: "who", "which", "that" take the number of the noun they refer to. "He is one of the boys who are honest."
Worked reasoning and learner clinic
Find the head of the subject before deciding agreement. In “The quality of the answers is high”, the head is quality; in “The answers to the question are clear”, the head is answers. A long prepositional phrase can separate the head from the verb, so temporarily bracket it and read the core subject–verb pair.
Compound subjects. Two distinct subjects joined by “and” normally take a plural verb. But a single unit or title may be singular: “Bread and butter is served.” With “either…or” and “neither…nor”, proximity agreement is the usual exam convention. If the result sounds awkward, rewrite the sentence when writing freely.
Indefinite pronouns. Each, everyone, neither and somebody are grammatically singular in formal exam usage. Do not let a plural noun after “of” control the verb. Conversely, “police”, “cattle” and paired objects such as scissors generally take plural agreement. A collective noun can be singular when the group acts as one unit.
There is/are and relative clauses. In “There are two notices”, the real noun after the verb controls agreement. In a relative clause, identify the antecedent: “the files that are missing” has plural agreement because “that” refers to files. This is a frequent trap when a singular noun sits nearby.
Telugu-medium transfer check
Find the grammatical head of the subject before looking at a nearby plural noun. Phrases beginning with ‘of’ often add detail without controlling the verb; ‘each’ and ‘every’ usually require singular agreement.
Retrieval practice
Underline the complete subject and circle its head in six sentences. Include one compound subject and one ‘either/or’ structure; explain which subject controls the verb.
Error-log prompt
When agreement is wrong, record the head noun and the distracting modifier. Rewrite the sentence once with a singular subject and once with a plural subject.
Study plate 05. Recall the sequence before you begin the question set.
Chapter 05 practice questions
001. Choose the word closest in meaning to BENEVOLENT.
A. Lazy
B. Kind
C. Proud
D. Cruel
Key: B | Explanation: Benevolent means kind and well-wishing. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
002. Choose the word opposite in meaning to DILIGENT.
A. Hardworking
B. Careful
C. Idle
D. Honest
Key: C | Explanation: Diligent means hardworking; idle is its opposite. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
003. Choose the synonym of CANDID.
A. Angry
B. Shy
C. Frank
D. Secretive
Key: C | Explanation: Candid means open and honest. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
004. Choose the antonym of ABUNDANT.
A. Plentiful
B. Scarce
C. Rich
D. Huge
Key: B | Explanation: Abundant means plentiful; scarce means hard to find. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
005. Choose the synonym of FEEBLE.
A. Strong
B. Quick
C. Rich
D. Weak
Key: D | Explanation: Feeble means weak. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
006. Choose the antonym of CONCEAL.
A. Keep
B. Hide
C. Cover
D. Reveal
Key: D | Explanation: Conceal means hide; reveal means show. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
007. Choose the synonym of OBSTINATE.
A. Gentle
B. Clever
C. Stubborn
D. Flexible
Key: C | Explanation: Obstinate means unwilling to change one's mind. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
008. Choose the antonym of FRUGAL.
A. Careful
B. Extravagant
C. Poor
D. Thrifty
Key: B | Explanation: Frugal means careful with money; extravagant means wasteful. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
009. Choose the synonym of ELATED.
A. Very happy
B. Very tired
C. Very angry
D. Very afraid
Key: A | Explanation: Elated means joyful and excited. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
010. Choose the word closest in meaning to HINDER.
A. Praise
B. Obstruct
C. Assist
D. Allow
Key: B | Explanation: Hinder means to block or slow down. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
011. Choose the antonym of ROBUST.
A. Firm
B. Healthy
C. Frail
D. Strong
Key: C | Explanation: Robust means strong; frail means weak. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
012. Choose the synonym of ABOLISH.
A. Begin
B. Support
C. Repair
D. End
Key: D | Explanation: Abolish means to put an end to something officially. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
013. One word for: a person who loves books.
A. Bibliophile
B. Misanthrope
C. Bibliographer
D. Librarian
Key: A | Explanation: A bibliophile is a lover of books. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
014. One word for: a person who does not believe in God.
A. Theist
B. Atheist
C. Optimist
D. Pessimist
Key: B | Explanation: An atheist does not believe in God. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
015. One word for: one who is present everywhere.
A. Omniscient
B. Ominous
C. Omnipresent
D. Omnipotent
Key: C | Explanation: Omnipresent means present in all places. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
016. One word for: a government by one ruler with total power.
A. Democracy
B. Oligarchy
C. Theocracy
D. Autocracy
Key: D | Explanation: Autocracy means rule by a single person with unlimited power. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
017. One word for: killing of a brother.
A. Patricide
B. Regicide
C. Fratricide
D. Suicide
Key: C | Explanation: Fratri- refers to brother; -cide means killing. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
018. One word for: fear of closed places.
A. Hydrophobia
B. Agoraphobia
C. Xenophobia
D. Claustrophobia
Key: D | Explanation: Claustrophobia is fear of confined spaces. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
019. One word for: a speech made without any preparation.
A. Monologue
B. Extempore
C. Oration
D. Soliloquy
Key: B | Explanation: An extempore speech is delivered on the spot. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
020. One word for: something that cannot be avoided.
A. Inevitable
B. Inaudible
C. Illegible
D. Invisible
Key: A | Explanation: Inevitable means certain to happen. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
021. One word for: a person who hates people.
A. Misanthrope
B. Misogynist
C. Egoist
D. Bibliophile
Key: A | Explanation: Misanthrope hates mankind; misogynist hates women. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
022. One word for: one who has all power.
A. Obstinate
B. Omnipresent
C. Omnipotent
D. Omniscient
Key: C | Explanation: Omni- means all; potent means powerful. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
023. One word for: a person who looks at the bright side of things.
A. Sceptic
B. Optimist
C. Cynic
D. Pessimist
Key: B | Explanation: An optimist expects good outcomes. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
024. Which word means 'about to happen'?
A. Dominant
B. Eminent
C. Prominent
D. Imminent
Key: D | Explanation: Imminent means very close to happening; eminent means famous. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
025. Fill in the blank with the correct word: The bad weather had a strong ____ on the crops.
A. effect
B. affect
C. defect
D. reflect
Key: A | Explanation: Effect is a noun meaning result; affect is a verb. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
026. Fill in the blank: The school ____ addressed the students on Monday.
A. principally
B. principle
C. principal
D. principality
Key: C | Explanation: Principal means head of a school; principle means a rule. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
027. Fill in the blank: Everyone ____ Ravi came to the meeting.
A. excerpt
B. except
C. accept
D. expect
Key: B | Explanation: Except means leaving out; accept means receive. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
028. In 'The workers were RELUCTANT to move', the word reluctant means
A. able
B. eager
C. ready
D. unwilling
Key: D | Explanation: Reluctant means unwilling. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
029. Which prefix gives the meaning 'bad' to a word, as in malfunction?
A. bene-
B. mal-
C. pre-
D. post-
Key: B | Explanation: Mal- means bad; bene- means good. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
030. Which pair shows words that are opposite in meaning?
A. Assist - Help
B. Huge - Enormous
C. Elated - Depressed
D. Swift - Fast
Key: C | Explanation: Elated is happy; depressed is sad. The other pairs are synonyms. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
031. Which pair shows words that are SYNONYMS?
A. Approve - Reject
B. Expand - Shrink
C. Abrupt - Gradual
D. Vanish - Disappear
Key: D | Explanation: Vanish and disappear both mean to go out of sight. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
032. Choose the antonym of TEMPORARY.
A. Permanent
B. Passing
C. Brief
D. Short
Key: A | Explanation: Temporary means for a short time; permanent means lasting. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
033. Choose the synonym of LETHARGIC.
A. Sluggish
B. Brisk
C. Lively
D. Active
Key: A | Explanation: Lethargic means lacking energy. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
034. Choose the antonym of CONDEMN.
A. Judge
B. Blame
C. Praise
D. Punish
Key: C | Explanation: Condemn means to blame strongly; praise is the opposite. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
035. Choose the synonym of MEAGRE.
A. Rich
B. Ample
C. Plenty
D. Scanty
Key: D | Explanation: Meagre means small in amount. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
036. Choose the antonym of PRUDENT.
A. Careful
B. Reckless
C. Sensible
D. Wise
Key: B | Explanation: Prudent means careful and wise; reckless means careless. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
037. Consider the statements about one-word substitutes. 1. An atheist is a person who believes in God. 2. Omniscient means knowing everything.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Key: B | Explanation: An atheist does not believe in God; omniscient means all-knowing. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
038. Consider the statements about word meanings. 1. Eminent means famous. 2. Imminent means famous.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Key: A | Explanation: Eminent = famous; imminent = about to happen. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
039. Consider the statements about government types. 1. Democracy means rule by the people. 2. Oligarchy means rule by a small group.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Key: C | Explanation: Both are correct definitions. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
040. Consider the statements. 1. Frugal is a synonym of extravagant. 2. Hinder is a synonym of obstruct.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Key: B | Explanation: Frugal is thrifty; its antonym is extravagant. Hinder = obstruct. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
041. Consider the statements about word parts. 1. The prefix 'anti-' means against. 2. The suffix '-less' means full of.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Key: A | Explanation: -less means without; -ful means full of. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
042. Consider the statements. 1. Regicide is the killing of a king. 2. Agoraphobia is fear of water.
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Key: A | Explanation: Agoraphobia is fear of open spaces; hydrophobia is fear of water. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
043. Match: Stationary - ?
A. Writing material
B. A kind of advice
C. A body of members
D. Not moving
Key: D | Explanation: Stationary means not moving; stationery means paper and pens. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
044. Which word means 'a person who is new to a task'?
A. Veteran
B. Sage
C. Expert
D. Novice
Key: D | Explanation: A novice is a beginner. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
045. Choose the antonym of ABRUPT.
A. Quick
B. Sudden
C. Gradual
D. Sharp
Key: C | Explanation: Abrupt means sudden; gradual means slow and step by step. Separate the word’s core meaning from its use in the sentence. The surrounding clue and part of speech decide which option fits.
046. The list of candidates ___ on the desk.
A. have
B. are
C. is
D. were
Key: C | Explanation: The head subject is “list”, singular; “of candidates” is a modifier.
047. Neither the constable nor the inspectors ___ available.
A. is
B. was
C. are
D. has
Key: C | Explanation: With neither…nor, the verb commonly agrees with the nearer subject “inspectors”.
048. Each of the files ___ a date stamp.
A. carries
B. have carried
C. were carrying
D. carry
Key: A | Explanation: “Each” is singular, so use “carries”.
049. A number of applicants ___ the notice carefully.
A. is reading
B. has read
C. reads
D. read
Key: D | Explanation: “A number of” means several and takes a plural verb.
050. The number of errors ___ small.
A. have been
B. are
C. were
D. is
Key: D | Explanation: “The number” is the singular subject.
051. Ten kilometres ___ a long distance to walk.
A. are
B. is
C. have
D. were
Key: B | Explanation: A measurement treated as one amount takes a singular verb.
052. The captain, with the team members, ___ arrived.
A. has
B. are
C. were
D. have
Key: A | Explanation: The subject is captain; “with the team members” does not make it plural.
053. There ___ two forms in the folder.
A. was
B. has
C. is
D. are
Key: D | Explanation: In a there-construction, agree with the following noun “forms”.
054. Mathematics ___ useful in data interpretation.
A. have
B. are
C. is
D. were
Key: C | Explanation: The subject name is singular in this meaning.
055. Many a trainee ___ the rule incorrectly.
A. apply
B. applies
C. have applied
D. were applying
Key: B | Explanation: “Many a” takes a singular noun and singular verb.
056. The police ___ questioned the witness.
A. have
B. is
C. was
D. has
Key: A | Explanation: “Police” is plural in standard usage.
057. Bread and butter ___ my usual breakfast.
A. were
B. have
C. are
D. is
Key: D | Explanation: The two items form one combined meal/idea.
058. The bouquet of flowers ___ on the counter.
A. were
B. are
C. is
D. have
Key: C | Explanation: The head noun is “bouquet”, singular.
059. Either the clerk or the assistants ___ the register.
A. checks
B. check
C. has checked
D. is checking
Key: B | Explanation: With either…or, the verb agrees with the nearer plural subject “assistants”.
060. The quality of these copies ___ improved.
A. has
B. are
C. were
D. have
Key: A | Explanation: The subject is “quality”, not plural “copies”.
061. Anita ___ the report every morning.
A. submitted
B. will submit
C. submit
D. submits
Key: D | Explanation: The sentence describes a repeated habit and has a third-person singular subject, so simple present takes -s/-es: “Anita submits the report every morning.”
062. Bharat ___ the application every morning.
A. will check
B. check
C. checks
D. checked
Key: C | Explanation: The sentence describes a repeated habit and has a third-person singular subject, so simple present takes -s/-es: “Bharat checks the application every morning.”
063. Charan ___ the evidence every morning.
A. carry
B. carries
C. carried
D. will carry
Key: B | Explanation: The sentence describes a repeated habit and has a third-person singular subject, so simple present takes -s/-es: “Charan carries the evidence every morning.”
064. Deepa ___ the schedule every morning.
A. prepares
B. prepared
C. will prepare
D. prepare
Key: A | Explanation: The sentence describes a repeated habit and has a third-person singular subject, so simple present takes -s/-es: “Deepa prepares the schedule every morning.”
065. Farah ___ the instructions every morning.
A. recorded
B. will record
C. record
D. records
Key: D | Explanation: The sentence describes a repeated habit and has a third-person singular subject, so simple present takes -s/-es: “Farah records the instructions every morning.”