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 as the singular subject "the boy" and the plural subject "the girls" are connected by "or," which leads the verb "come" to agree with the nearest subject, which is plural.

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

In this sentence, the subjects "the boys" (plural) and "girl" (singular) are combined with "and," which necessitates a plural verb. Therefore, the correct verb form should be "visit" to agree with the plural subject "the boys."

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

This option is correct because "the boy" is a singular subject and "the girls" is a plural subject; the verb "come" agrees with the nearest subject, which is plural. The structure of using "or" ensures that the verb reflects the plurality of the second subject.

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

Here, "the boys" (plural) and "girl" (singular) again use "and," which requires a plural verb. The verb "are" correctly agrees with the plural subject "the boys," but the singular "girl" creates a mismatch in the subject, making it not an example of proper subject-verb agreement.

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

In this case, "the boys" (plural) and "the girls" (plural) are connected by "or," which should lead to a singular verb. However, the verb "sing" is correctly plural; thus, the sentence lacks proper agreement as the subject should be singular when using "or."

Conclusion

Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental rule in English grammar that ensures clarity in communication. In the provided sentences, option B correctly applies this rule by utilizing "or" to connect a singular subject with a plural subject, allowing the verb to agree with the nearest subject. The other options demonstrate various mismatches between subjects and verbs, highlighting the importance of correct grammatical structure.

Related Questions

View all