Difficulty: Easy

Average Score: 100%

Which of the following sentences demonstrates proper subject-verb agreement?

Rationale

The boy or the girls come to school late.

This sentence correctly demonstrates subject-verb agreement because the verb "come" agrees with the plural subject "girls," which takes precedence when using "or" to connect singular and plural subjects.

A (The boys and girl visit my house) YOUR ANSWER

In this sentence, the compound subject "boys and girl" is considered plural, requiring the verb to be in the plural form as well. The verb "visit" is correctly used here, but the sentence lacks clarity since it mixes singular and plural without a clear agreement on the subject.

B (The boys or the girls sing in the choir) YOUR ANSWER

This sentence incorrectly uses the plural verb "sing" with the singular subject "boys" when employing "or." According to subject-verb agreement rules, the verb should match the nearer subject, which is "girls," so it should read "The boys or the girl sings in the choir."

C (The boys and girl in our club are in the cafe) YOUR ANSWER

While the verb "are" correctly corresponds to the plural subject "boys and girl," the mix of singular and plural can create confusion. The phrase lacks proper agreement since "girl" is singular, and it would be clearer if both subjects were pluralized or made singular.

D (The boy or the girls come to school late) CORRECT

This sentence correctly uses the verb "come" because it agrees with the plural subject "girls," which is the nearest subject to the verb. In cases where "or" is used, the verb should agree with the subject that is closer, ensuring proper subject-verb agreement.

Conclusion

Subject-verb agreement is crucial for clarity and grammatical accuracy in sentences. In the provided examples, option D stands out as the only one that adheres to the rules of subject-verb agreement, properly aligning the verb "come" with the plural subject "girls." This demonstrates the importance of considering the closest subject when using conjunctions like "or" in sentences.

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