Advanced subject-verb agreement. 45 questions on inverted sentences, noun clauses, and nuanced agreement.
What this test covers
- Inverted Sentences
- Noun Clauses as Subjects
- Nuanced Agreement
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1Under no circumstances ___ the staff allowed to leave the building early today.
Answer: C. is
This sentence uses negative inversion triggered by the initial phrase 'Under no circumstances.' In this structure, the auxiliary verb must precede the subject. 'Staff' is a collective noun; while it can be plural in some dialects, 'is' is the only singular copula provided that matches the passive construction 'is allowed.' 'Does' and 'do' are incorrect because 'allowed' is a past participle functioning as a passive verb, which requires a form of 'be,' not 'do-support.' 'Be' is an uninflected base form and cannot function as a finite verb here.
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Q2Here ___ the report you requested for the upcoming meeting.
Answer: C. is
In sentences beginning with the time reference adverb 'here,' full inversion (subject-verb inversion) occurs. The grammatical subject is 'the report,' which is singular and follows the verb. Therefore, the singular 'is' is required. 'Are' is plural and fails agreement. 'Seem' is a plural verb form (the singular would be 'seems') and does not fit the context. 'Coming' is a non-finite present participle and cannot function as the main verb without an auxiliary.
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Q3Across the street ___ a large oak tree that provides shade.
Answer: A. stands
This is a locative inversion where the subject, 'a large oak tree,' follows the verb. Since the subject is singular, the verb must take the third-person singular inflection 'stands.' 'Grow' and 'stand' are plural forms and thus grammatically incorrect. 'Are' is the plural copula, which contradicts the singular count of the specific 'tree' described.
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Q4The variety of opinions regarding the new company policy ___ quite overwhelming.
Answer: C. is
The grammatical subject is the singular head noun 'variety,' not the plural 'opinions' found within the prepositional phrase. According to the principle of grammatical concord, the verb must agree with the head noun, requiring the singular 'is.' 'Are' and 'were' are incorrect because they demonstrate 'attraction'—an error where the verb mistakenly agrees with the nearest noun ('opinions') rather than the actual subject. 'Exist' is a plural lexical verb.
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Q5Never ___ they seen such a beautiful sunset in their lives.
Answer: B. have
The negative adverb 'never' triggers subject-operator inversion. The auxiliary verb must agree with the plural subject 'they.' The presence of the past participle 'seen' indicates the present perfect aspect, which requires the auxiliary 'have.' 'Has' and 'does' are singular forms, and 'do' cannot be used with a past participle to form the perfect aspect; 'do' would require a base form ('Never do they see...').
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Q6Into the room ___ the professor and her research assistant yesterday.
Answer: C. walked
This locative inversion features a compound subject, 'the professor and her research assistant,' which is plural. However, the temporal adverb 'yesterday' mandates the simple past tense. 'Walked' is the past tense form and is correct regardless of subject number. 'Walks' (present), 'has walked' (present perfect), and 'is walking' (present continuous) are all singular and present-oriented, making them chronologically and grammatically incorrect.
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Q7Identify the error: There is many people waiting in the lobby.
Answer: A. is
In existential 'there' constructions, the verb must agree with the delayed (logical) subject. Here, the subject is 'many people,' which is a plural count noun phrase. Therefore, the singular verb 'is' represents a concord error and should be replaced by the plural 'are.' 'Many' is a correct quantifier for count nouns, and 'people' is the standard plural of 'person.'
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Q8Rarely ___ he complain about his workload despite the pressure.
Answer: B. does
The negative adverb 'rarely' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion. The third-person singular subject 'he' requires the singular auxiliary 'does' to support the bare infinitive 'complain' in the simple present tense. 'Do' is the plural form. 'Is' and 'are' are forms of the copula 'be' and cannot provide do-support for the lexical verb 'complain' in this active construction.
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Q9Behind the building ___ the storage unit.
Answer: D. lies
This sentence uses locative inversion where the subject 'the storage unit' appears after the verb. As the subject is singular, the verb must take the third-person singular inflection 'lies.' 'Are' and 'exist' are plural forms and do not agree with the singular subject. 'Standing' is a non-finite present participle and cannot serve as the main verb without an accompanying copula ('is standing').
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Q10On the desk ___ two pens and a stapler.
Answer: C. lie
This is a locative inversion with a compound subject, 'two pens and a stapler.' When multiple nouns are coordinated by 'and,' the subject is plural, requiring the plural verb 'lie.' 'Lies' and 'is' are singular forms. 'Been' is a past participle and cannot function as a finite verb in this present-tense structure.
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Q11Hardly ___ the match begun when it started raining.
Answer: A. had
The correlative structure 'Hardly... when' describes a past sequence, requiring the past perfect tense in the first clause. The negative adverb 'hardly' triggers inversion. Given the past participle 'begun,' the auxiliary 'had' is required. 'Did' is incorrect because it would require the base form 'begin.' 'Have' and 'does' are present-tense forms that do not match the past-time context ('started').
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Q12There ___ a number of reasons for the delay last year.
Answer: A. were
The phrase 'a number of' acts as a plural quantifier (meaning 'several'), requiring a plural verb. This is distinct from 'the number of,' which is singular. The marker 'last year' requires the past tense. Thus, 'were' is the only form that satisfies both plural agreement and past tense. 'Was' is singular, while 'is' and 'are' are present tense.
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Q13Little ___ the students realize the test was canceled.
Answer: C. did
The negative adverb 'little' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion. The subordinate clause 'the test was canceled' sets a past-tense context, necessitating the past-tense auxiliary 'did' to support the base form 'realize.' 'Does' and 'has' are singular present forms, and 'is' is a copula; none of these match the past-time frame or the plural subject 'students.'
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Q14Here ___ the key to the main entrance.
Answer: B. is
In this time reference inversion, the subject 'the key' follows the verb. Because the subject is singular, the verb must be the singular copula 'is.' 'Are' and 'come' are plural forms. 'Coming' is a present participle and cannot function as a finite verb on its own.
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Q15Identify the error: There stands many houses on the hill.
Answer: C. stands
The verb 'stands' must agree with the delayed subject 'many houses.' Because the subject is plural, the verb should be the plural form 'stand.' Using the singular inflection 'stands' violates subject-verb agreement. 'Many' and 'houses' are correctly used as a quantifier and a plural count noun.
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Q16What they need ___ more time to finish the project.
Answer: C. is
The subject is a nominal relative clause 'What they need.' In formal English, clausal subjects are treated as singular units, requiring the singular copula 'is.' While 'are' is occasionally heard in speech when the following noun is plural, 'is' remains the standard for advanced grammatical accuracy. 'Were' is plural/past, and 'have' is a lexical verb that cannot function as a copula.
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Q17Whoever wins the election ___ going to face significant challenges.
Answer: A. is
The subject is the free relative clause 'Whoever wins the election.' Noun clauses functioning as subjects are grammatically singular, requiring the singular auxiliary 'is' for the 'be going to' future construction. 'Are' and 'were' are plural, and 'have' is a plural verb that does not fit the progressive aspect here.
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Q18Whatever you choose ___ fine with me.
Answer: B. is
The clause 'Whatever you choose' serves as a nominal subject. Clausal subjects are singular in English, requiring the singular copula 'is.' 'Are,' 'were,' and 'have' are plural and do not agree with the singular clausal unit.
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Q19How they organized the event ___ impressive.
Answer: C. was
The subject is the nominal clause 'How they organized the event.' Clausal subjects are treated as singular. Given the context of a completed event ('organized'), the past singular 'was' is the most appropriate verb. 'Were' and 'are' are plural, and 'have' is a plural verb that cannot link the subject to the adjective 'impressive.'
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Q20The committee ___ meeting to discuss the budget proposal.
Answer: B. is
'Committee' is a collective noun. When the group is acting as a single, unified entity, it takes a singular verb. 'Is' provides the singular present progressive. 'Have' and 'were' are plural, and 'be' is an uninflected base form that cannot function as a finite verb in this clause.
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Q21Where they go ___ their own business.
Answer: C. is
The subject is the nominal clause 'Where they go.' As a clausal subject, it is grammatically singular regardless of the plural pronoun 'they' inside it. Therefore, the singular copula 'is' is required. 'Are' and 'were' are plural, and 'have' is a lexical verb that cannot act as a copula.
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Q22When the meeting starts ___ still uncertain.
Answer: A. is
The subject is the nominal clause 'When the meeting starts.' Noun clauses are grammatically singular, necessitating the singular verb 'is.' 'Are,' 'were,' and 'have' are plural forms and are incompatible with a singular clausal subject.
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Q23Why he left ___ a mystery.
Answer: B. remains
The subject is the interrogative content clause 'Why he left.' Because clausal subjects are singular, the verb must take the third-person singular inflection 'remains.' 'Remain' is the plural form, and 'were' and 'are' are plural forms of the copula 'be' that do not match the subject's number.
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Q24Whichever path you take ___ to the same destination.
Answer: A. leads
The subject is the free relative clause 'Whichever path you take.' Such clausal subjects are grammatically singular, requiring the third-person singular verb 'leads.' 'Lead' is the plural form, and 'were' and 'are' are plural forms of 'be' which are semantically and grammatically unsuitable for this context.
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Q25That the experiment failed ___ disappointing yesterday.
Answer: C. was
The subject is the nominal that-clause 'That the experiment failed,' which functions as a singular unit. The adverb 'yesterday' mandates the past tense. Therefore, the singular past copula 'was' is required. 'Is' is present tense, while 'are' and 'were' are plural forms.
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Q26Whether they arrive on time ___ not guaranteed.
Answer: A. is
The subject is the nominal whether-clause 'Whether they arrive on time.' In English, noun clauses are treated as singular entities, requiring the singular verb 'is.' 'Are' and 'were' are plural, and 'have' is a plural lexical verb that cannot function as a copula here.
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Q27Whatever you decide ___ final.
Answer: A. is
The free relative clause 'Whatever you decide' functions as a nominal subject. Clausal subjects are consistently singular, requiring the singular copula 'is.' 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms, and 'have' is a plural verb that cannot link the subject to the adjective 'final.'
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Q28How they managed to succeed ___ a secret.
Answer: C. remains
The subject 'How they managed to succeed' is an interrogative content clause. As clausal subjects are singular, the matrix verb must take the singular inflection 'remains.' 'Remain' is plural, and 'are' and 'were' are plural forms of 'be' that fail the agreement rule.
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Q29That she speaks three languages ___ impressive.
Answer: D. is
The subject is the nominal that-clause 'That she speaks three languages.' Although it contains the plural 'languages,' the clause itself is a single idea and thus singular. This requires the singular copula 'is.' 'Were' and 'are' are plural forms, and 'have' is a plural lexical verb.
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Q30What you said ___ not true.
Answer: B. is
The nominal relative clause 'What you said' acts as the singular subject. Grammatical concord requires the singular copula 'is.' 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms, and 'have' is a plural verb that does not fit the equative structure of this sentence.
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Q31Ten kilometres ___ a long distance to walk in one day.
Answer: C. is
Phrases indicating distance, time, or money (like 'ten kilometres') are conceptualized as a single unit of measurement. This is known as notional agreement, where the singular 'is' is used because the distance is viewed as one block. 'Are' and 'were' are plural, and 'have' is a plural lexical verb.
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Q32None of the cake ___ eaten by the guests.
Answer: D. was
When 'none' refers to an uncountable noun like 'cake,' it takes a singular verb. The past participle 'eaten' indicates a passive construction, necessitating the singular past copula 'was.' 'Were' and 'are' are plural, and 'have' would require the auxiliary 'been' (e.g., 'has been eaten') to form a correct passive.
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Q33The CEO, along with the board members, ___ attending the meeting yesterday.
Answer: A. was
The phrase 'along with the board members' is an accompaniment adjunct, not a coordinator like 'and.' It does not change the singular status of the subject 'The CEO.' The adverb 'yesterday' indicates the past tense, requiring the singular past copula 'was.' 'Is' is present tense, while 'were' and 'are' are plural.
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Q34Neither the coach nor the players ___ happy with the result yesterday.
Answer: D. were
In 'neither... nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the nearest subject element (the principle of proximity). Here, 'the players' is plural, so a plural verb is needed. The adverb 'yesterday' requires the past tense, making 'were' the correct choice. 'Was' and 'is' are singular, and 'has' is a singular auxiliary.
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Q35The main issue in these reports ___ the missing data.
Answer: C. is
Agreement is determined by the head of the subject noun phrase, 'The main issue,' which is singular. The plural noun 'reports' inside the prepositional phrase and the plural complement 'data' do not affect the verb's number. Thus, 'is' is required. 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms that incorrectly agree with 'reports' or 'data' by attraction.
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Q36Fifty dollars ___ the price of the ticket.
Answer: B. is
Sums of money are treated as a single collective unit of value and take a singular verb. The singular copula 'is' correctly agrees with the amount. 'Are' and 'were' are plural, and 'have' is a plural verb that cannot function as a copula here.
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Q37Neither of the answers ___ correct.
Answer: A. is
When 'neither' is the pronoun head of a subject, it is traditionally treated as singular in formal English, regardless of the plural 'answers' following it. Therefore, the singular 'is' is required. 'Are' and 'were' are plural and common in informal speech, but 'is' is the standard for advanced grammar. 'Have' is a plural lexical verb.
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Q38The team ___ practicing for the championship.
Answer: A. is
'Team' is a collective noun. When the group acts as a unified entity, it takes a singular verb. 'Is' provides the singular present progressive inflection. 'Have' and 'were' are plural, and 'be' is an uninflected base form.
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Q39Either the teacher or the students ___ responsible for the mess yesterday.
Answer: B. were
According to the principle of proximity, in 'either... or' structures, the verb agrees with the nearest subject element. 'The students' is plural, requiring a plural verb. The marker 'yesterday' specifies the past tense, making 'were' the correct choice. 'Is' and 'has' are singular, and 'are' is present tense.
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Q40The news of the accident ___ devastating to the community.
Answer: A. was
'News' is an uncountable noun that is grammatically singular despite the 's' ending. To describe a past state, the singular past copula 'was' is required. 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms, and 'have' is a plural verb that does not fit the predicative adjective 'devastating.'
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Q41None of the workers ___ qualified for the promotion.
Answer: D. are
When 'none' refers to a plural count noun like 'workers,' it can take a plural verb, especially when emphasizing the individual members of the group. 'Are' is the only plural finite verb among the options that fits the adjective 'qualified.' 'Has' is singular and would imply the perfect aspect ('has qualified'), whereas the sentence describes a state. 'Been' and 'be' are non-finite forms.
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Q42Identify the error: The cause of the delays are unknown.
Answer: A. are
The subject of the sentence is the singular head noun 'cause.' The plural noun 'delays' is within a prepositional phrase and should not influence the verb. Using 'are' is a common error of attraction to the nearest plural noun; it should be replaced by the singular copula 'is.'
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Q43Five years ___ a long time to wait for a promotion.
Answer: D. is
Time periods, such as 'five years,' are conceptualized as a single duration rather than a count of individual units, requiring a singular verb. The singular copula 'is' is correct. 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms, and 'have' is a plural lexical verb.
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Q44Every student and teacher ___ required to sign the form.
Answer: C. is
When a compound subject (X and Y) is preceded by the distributive determiner 'every' or 'each,' the entire phrase is grammatically singular. Therefore, the singular 'is' is required. 'Are' and 'were' are plural, and 'have' is a plural auxiliary that would require 'been' for a passive construction.
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Q45The collection of rare coins ___ valuable.
Answer: C. is
The head of the subject phrase is the singular noun 'collection.' The plural 'coins' is the object of the preposition 'of' and does not dictate the verb's number. Under the rules of grammatical concord, the singular 'is' is required. 'Are' and 'were' are plural forms, and 'have' is a plural lexical verb.
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