Complete the following sentences with a verb form that agrees with the subject.
1. A number of students ………………. absent today.
We use a plural verb after the expression 'a number of'
2. The girls ………………… dancing merrily.
3. In hot weather milk ……………….. sour fast.
Use singular verbs with uncountable nouns.
4. The list of eligible students ..................... been published.
Here the subject is the singular expression 'the list'.
5. The news ………………… false.
Nouns such as news and information are always singular.
6. The earth ………………… on its own axis.
In the simple present tense when the subject is a singular noun or pronoun, the verb takes the marker -s.
7. Gulliver’s Travels …………………. an interesting novel.
Names of books are singular.
8. Thousand dollars ………………. a huge amount.
Here the reference is to the entire sum and not to the coins and currency notes that make up 1000 dollars, so we need a singular verb here.
9. The boy ………………… actually waiting for school to reopen.
10. Neither the principal nor the teachers ………………….. able to give a satisfactory explanation.
When we connect two nouns with neither…nor, the verb agrees with the noun close to it. Here we use the plural verb, because the noun close to it (teachers) is plural.
11. Neither the headmaster nor the teacher …………………. responsible for this.
Answers
1. A number of students are absent today.
2. The girls are dancing merrily.
3. In hot weather milk turns sour fast.
4. The list of eligible students has been published.
5. The news is false.
6. The earth rotates on its own axis.
7. Gulliver’s Travels is an interesting novel.
8. Thousand dollars is a huge amount.
9. The boy was actually waiting for school to reopen.
10. Neither the principal nor the teachers were able to give a satisfactory explanation.
11. Neither the headmaster nor the teacher is responsible for this.
