SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT (MCQS)

🌈 Subject–Verb Agreement

🎯 50 MCQs for Class 12 Students

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A verb must agree with its subject in number and person. Choose the correct verb in each sentence and check the explanation after every question.

Q1Sixty years ________ a long time.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ is

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) is

💡 A period of time considered as one unit takes a singular verb.

Q2Neither of the boys ________ got a prize.

🅰️ have

🅱️ has

🅲️ are

🅳️ were

✅ Answer: B) has

💡 “Neither of” normally takes a singular verb.

Q3The police ________ chasing the burglar.

🅰️ is

🅱️ was

🅲️ are

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: C) are

💡 “Police” is treated as a plural noun.

Q4Physics ________ my favourite subject.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 “Physics” as a school subject takes a singular verb.

Q5A number of children ________ suffering from cold.

🅰️ is

🅱️ are

🅲️ was

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: B) are

💡 “A number of + plural noun” takes a plural verb.

Q6Bread and butter ________ my favourite breakfast.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ is

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) is

💡 The two nouns refer to one combined meal.

Q7Not only the boy but also his friends ________ equally guilty.

🅰️ is

🅱️ was

🅲️ has

🅳️ are

✅ Answer: D) are

💡 With “not only...but also”, the verb agrees with the nearer subject, “friends”.

Q8The committee ________ divided on this issue.

🅰️ was

🅱️ were

🅲️ is

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: B) were

💡 Here the committee members are considered individually because they are divided.

Q9One of the girls ________ able to answer the question correctly.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ was

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) was

💡 The subject is “one”, which is singular.

Q10There ________ plenty of room for improvement in her work.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 The real subject is “room”, a singular uncountable noun.

Q11The United States ________ a powerful country.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ is

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) is

💡 The United States is one country, so a singular verb is used.

Q12Two kilos of tea ________ six hundred rupees.

🅰️ cost

🅱️ costs

🅲️ costing

🅳️ have cost

✅ Answer: B) costs

💡 The quantity is treated as one amount, so “costs” is used.

Q13Neither he nor you ________ to attend the meeting.

🅰️ is

🅱️ was

🅲️ are

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: C) are

💡 The verb agrees with the nearer subject, “you”.

Q14My trousers ________ been cleaned.

🅰️ has

🅱️ is

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: C) have

💡 “Trousers” is a plural-only noun and takes “have”.

Q15A pair of shoes ________ lying in the corner.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ was

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) was

💡 The subject is “a pair”, which is singular.

Q16Every man, woman and child ________ happy to meet the President.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 “Every” makes the subject singular.

Q17Gulliver’s Travels ________ written by Jonathan Swift.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ was

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) was

💡 It is the title of one book, so it takes a singular verb.

Q18The number of sick children ________ increasing.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 “The number of” always takes a singular verb.

Q19Statistics ________ always been my weak point.

🅰️ have

🅱️ are

🅲️ were

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: D) has

💡 Here “Statistics” refers to the academic subject, so it is singular.

Q20All the books which have been placed on that table ________ mine.

🅰️ is

🅱️ was

🅲️ are

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: C) are

💡 “Books” is plural, so the verb must be plural.

Q21Rice and curry ________ his favourite food.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 “Rice and curry” refers to one combined meal.

Q22Either you or he ________ created this problem.

🅰️ have

🅱️ are

🅲️ has

🅳️ were

✅ Answer: C) has

💡 The nearer subject is “he”, so the singular “has” is used.

Q23A lot of money ________ spent on buying clothes.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 “Money” is an uncountable singular noun.

Q24A herd of elephants ________ seen in the jungle.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 The subject is “herd”, which is singular.

Q25Population growth in addition to many other problems ________ badly affected India.

🅰️ have

🅱️ are

🅲️ were

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: D) has

💡 The main subject is “Population growth”. “In addition to...” does not change the subject.

Q26The rich ________ a lot of responsibility towards the poor.

🅰️ has

🅱️ is

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: C) have

💡 “The rich” refers to rich people and is treated as plural.

Q27It is you who ________ wronged me.

🅰️ has

🅱️ have

🅲️ is

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: B) have

💡 The relative clause refers to “you”, so “have” is used.

Q28That she is alive ________ good news.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 The entire clause “That she is alive” functions as one singular subject.

Q29Fifty kilometres ________ not a long distance.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 A distance considered as one unit takes a singular verb.

Q30Neither rose nor jasmine ________ available in the market.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 Both subjects are singular, so “was” is correct.

Q31Two plus two ________ four.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 A mathematical result is treated as one fact.

Q32The quality of these mangoes ________ rather good.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 The subject is “quality”, not “mangoes”.

Q33The jury ________ selected its chairman.

🅰️ have

🅱️ are

🅲️ were

🅳️ has

✅ Answer: D) has

💡 The jury is considered as one body here, so “has” is used.

Q34Ill news ________ fast.

🅰️ travel

🅱️ travelled

🅲️ travels

🅳️ have travelled

✅ Answer: C) travels

💡 “News” is grammatically singular, so the verb is “travels”.

Q35The teacher with all her students ________ come.

🅰️ have

🅱️ are

🅲️ has

🅳️ were

✅ Answer: C) has

💡 The main subject is “teacher”. “With all her students” does not change it.

Q36None of the work ________ completed.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 “Work” is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb here.

Q37Your trousers ________ torn.

🅰️ is

🅱️ was

🅲️ has

🅳️ are

✅ Answer: D) are

💡 “Trousers” is a plural-only noun and takes “are”.

Q38Each of the students ________ given a prize.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 “Each” is singular and therefore takes a singular verb.

Q39More than one worker ________ absent.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ was

🅳️ have

✅ Answer: C) was

💡 “More than one + singular noun” generally takes a singular verb.

Q40Nothing but birds ________ seen.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 The grammatical subject is “nothing”, which is singular.

Q41The scissors ________ old.

🅰️ is

🅱️ was

🅲️ has

🅳️ are

✅ Answer: D) are

💡 “Scissors” is a plural-only noun and takes “are”.

Q42Ten miles ________ a long distance.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 A distance considered as one unit takes a singular verb.

Q43Economics ________ an interesting subject.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 “Economics” as an academic subject is singular.

Q44A group of smugglers ________ arrested yesterday.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 The subject is “group”, which is singular.

Q45Every soldier and every sailor ________ in his place.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 “Every” before each noun makes the subject singular.

Q46The news ________ bad.

🅰️ were

🅱️ are

🅲️ have

🅳️ was

✅ Answer: D) was

💡 “News” is grammatically singular although it ends in “s”.

Q47Ram as well as his friends ________ to play football.

🅰️ like

🅱️ liked

🅲️ likes

🅳️ are liking

✅ Answer: C) likes

💡 “As well as” does not make the main subject plural. The subject is “Ram”.

Q48A variety of subjects ________ taught in this school.

🅰️ are

🅱️ were

🅲️ have

🅳️ is

✅ Answer: D) is

💡 Here “a variety” is treated as a singular subject.

Q49Time and tide ________ for none.

🅰️ waits

🅱️ wait

🅲️ waiting

🅳️ has waited

✅ Answer: B) wait

💡 “Time and tide” refer to two separate things, so a plural verb is used.

Q50The blind ________ escorts to cross a road.

🅰️ needs

🅱️ need

🅲️ is needing

🅳️ has needed

✅ Answer: B) need

💡 “The blind” refers to blind people collectively and is treated as plural.

📚 ⭐ Important Rules to Remember

Rule	Example
Each / Every → Singular verb	Each student is ready.
A number of → Plural verb	A number of students are absent.
The number of → Singular verb	The number of students is increasing.
Either...or / Neither...nor	Use the verb according to the nearer subject.
Not only...but also	The verb agrees with the nearer subject.
As well as / With	Ram, as well as his friends, is ready.
Trousers / Scissors	The scissors are sharp.
A pair of	A pair of shoes is here.
Time / Distance as one unit	Ten years is a long time.
Collective noun as one unit	The jury has decided.
Collective noun showing division	The committee were divided.

🎉 Well Done!

You have completed all 50 Subject–Verb Agreement MCQs. Keep practising and improve your grammar every day! 📖✨