Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental concept in grammar that requires the verb in a sentence to agree with its subject in number and person. Class 10 students often encounter Subject-Verb Agreement questions in their English Language exams. In this article, we will explore some Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) with answers to test students’ understanding of subject-verb agreement.
1. Choose the correct verb form to complete the following sentence: The team of players _____ from the same city.
A. come
B. comes
C. have come
D. are coming
Answer: B. comes
Explanation: The subject of the sentence, “the team of players,” is singular, even though it contains multiple players. Therefore, the verb must be in singular form. Hence, the correct answer is “The team of players comes from the same city.”
2. Choose the correct verb form to complete the following sentence: Neither the headmaster nor the teachers _____ yet arrived.
A. has
B. have
C. had
D. were
Answer: A. has
Explanation: In this sentence, the subject is neither the headmaster nor the teachers. In such a case, the verb must agree with the noun that is closer to it, which is “headmaster.” Since “headmaster” is a singular noun, the verb should be in singular form as well. Therefore, the correct answer is “Neither the headmaster nor the teachers has yet arrived.”
3. Choose the correct verb form to complete the following sentence: Each of the five students _____ his/her own laptop.
A. have
B. has
C. is having
D. was having
Answer: B. has
Explanation: “Each” is a singular word, and therefore, the verb should be in singular form too. The correct answer is “Each of the five students has his/her own laptop.”
4. Choose the correct verb form to complete the following sentence: The boys, as well as the coach, _____ the decision to skip the match.
A. make
B. makes
C. made
D. have made
Answer: B. makes
Explanation: In this sentence, “the boys” and “the coach” are two separate subjects joined by “as well as.” However, when two subjects are connected by “as well as”, “along with” or “together with”, the verb agrees with the first subject, which is “the boys” in this case. Therefore, the correct answer is “The boys, as well as the coach, makes the decision to skip the match.”
5. Choose the correct verb form to complete the following sentence: The number of students who _____ failing the exam is alarming.
A. is
B. are
C. be
D. were
Answer: A. is
Explanation: The subject of this sentence is “the number of students,” which is a singular noun. Therefore, the verb should be in singular form as well. Hence, the correct answer is “The number of students who is failing the exam is alarming.”
Understanding subject-verb agreement is crucial for effective communication in English. The above MCQs with answers serve as a quick practice test and can help Class 10 students enhance their grammar skills.