57391 singular or plural

Decide which option is correct.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

One can hear quiet often that politics _______ a dirty game.
IS / ARE
The government ________ announced a new policy.
HAS / HAVE
Gymnastics _______ not exactly one of my favourite sports.
IS / ARE
The athletics we watched __________ really exciting. WAS / WERE
Spaghetti _______ much tastier than jacket potatoes. IS / ARE
The staff _______ not satisfied with the working conditions. IS / ARE
Physics __________ to interest Janet. SEEMS / SEEM
Your jeans ________ very fashionable. Where did you buy _____ ? IS / ARE, IT /
THEM
9. The police ____ announcing that the road will be closed for two more hours. IS / ARE
10. The TV news ______ on at ten . IS / ARE
11. The scissors _______ very sharp; be careful with _______ . IS / ARE, IT / THEM
12. Where _____ you family live?
DO / DOES
13. The team ______ playing above expectations this season. IS / ARE
14. Ten years _______ a long time to spend in prison. IS / ARE
15. The jury _________ postponed a decision. HAS / HAVE
16. Her clothes _______ dirty and torn. WAS / WERE

17. Her exact whereabouts ________ unknown. REMAINS / REMAIN
18. Fish and chips _____ her favourite meal. IS / ARE
19. Your belongings _______ in my way. IS / ARE
20. 12 % of the people _______ unemployed. IS / ARE
21. Most cattle _______ fattened for slaughter. IS / ARE
22. The holidays _____ the best opportunity I have for spoiling myself. IS / ARE
23. Ten thousand dollars ______ a lot of money. IS / ARE
24. Every man and woman ______ required to check in. IS / ARE
25. My glasses ______ on the bedside table earlier on but now I can’t find _____ . WAS /
WERE, IT / THEM
26. Stamina ______ important for athletes. IS / ARE
27. Mumps _____ a disease whereby your salivary glands are swollen and in pain. IS /
ARE
28. The majority of the exams ______ negatively marked. WAS / WERE
29. The lights in the room _______ been dimmed. HAS / HAVE
30. The sheriff or his deputy ______ going to be here any minute. IS / ARE
31. The class _______ going on a field trip. WAS / WERE
32. The flock of birds _______ a formation in the sky. MAKE / MAKES
33. Little Women ______ a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott. IS / ARE
34. Ethics ______ a code of values. IS / ARE
35. Neither John nor Trevor ______ like car racing. LIKE / LIKES
36. The family ______ different views of the issue. HAVE / HAS
37. Physics ______ with light, sound, heat, electricity and matter in motion. DEALS /
DEAL
38. Two kilometres ______ not far. IS / ARE
39. Here ______ a list of things we need to buy. IS / ARE
40. None of us ______ perfect. IS / ARE


41. All the necessary preparations _______ been done already. HAS / HAVE

42. The first thing the detective noticed ______ footsteps all over the house. WAS /
WERE
43. Alex is one of those guys who ______ beer to spirits. PREFER / PREFERS
44. Everybody _____ expected to be here by 7 a.m. IS / ARE
45. The rich ______ richer, while the poor _______ poorer. GET / GETS
46. Neither of the men ______ working. IS / ARE
47. The United States _______ a country of opportunity. IS / ARE
48. The problem at the picnic ________ wasps. WAS / WERE
49. Most of the children _______ in good health. IS / ARE
50. A number of citizens __________ complained about the new law. HAS / HAVE


KEY
One can hear quiet often that politics _______ a dirty game.
IS
The government ________ announced a new policy.
HAVE1 / HAS
Gymnastics _______ not exactly one of my favourite sports.
IS
The athletics we watched __________ really exciting. WAS
Spaghetti _______ much tastier than jacket potatoes. IS
The staff _______ not satisfied with the working conditions. ARE
Physics __________ to interest Janet. SEEMS
Your jeans ________ very fashionable. Where did you buy _____ ? ARE, THEM
The police ____ announcing that the road will be closed for two more hours. ARE2
The TV news ______ on at ten. IS3
The scissors _______ very sharp; be careful with _______ . ARE, THEM
Where _____ you family live?
DO / DOES
The team ______ playing above expectations this season. IS4 / ARE

Ten years _______ a long time to spend in prison. IS5
The jury _________ postponed a decision. HAS / HAVE
Her clothes _______ dirty and torn. WERE
Her exact whereabouts ________ unknown. REMAINS / REMAIN
Fish and chips _____ her favourite meal. IS
Your belongings _______ in my way. ARE6
12 % of the people _______ unemployed. ARE7
Most cattle _____ fattened for slaughter. ARE
The holidays _____ the best opportunity I have for spoiling myself. ARE
Ten thousand dollars ______ a lot of money. IS
Every man and woman ______ required to check in. IS
My glasses ______ on the bedside table earlier on but now I can’t find _____ . WERE,
THEM
Stamina ______ important for athletes. IS
Mumps _____ a disease whereby your salivary glands are swollen and in pain. IS
The majority of the exams ______ negatively marked. WERE
The lights in the room _______ been dimmed. HAVE
The sheriff or his deputy ______ going to be here any minute. IS8
The class _______ going on a field trip. WAS
In British usage, however, collective nouns are more often treated as plurals: The
government have not announced a new policy.
American English prefers the singular in some cases where British English prefers the plural.
There are a number of words like government, company, team, department, committee,
association, audience, class, club, community, crowd, family, jury, orchestra, population,
press, staff, which can be followed by a singular verb or a plural verb. It depends on how you
perceive the noun, whether as a unit, or as a group of individuals.
2
Words police, staff have plural verb
3
Words like the news, diabetes, measles, means ( = method or money), economics, …..

have a singular verb.
4
If you want to emphasize that the team is playing as a unified unit, functioning as one, use
Singular
5
Words stating an amount (time, money, weight, etc.) are usually singular and take a
singular verb.
6
The words belongings, earnings, goods, outskirts, premises, savings are followed by plural.
7
The words such as percent, fraction, part, majority,—look at the noun in of phrase (object of
the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the
preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a
plural verb.
1


The flock of birds _______ a formation in the sky. MAKES
Little Women _____ a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott. IS9
Ethics ______ a code of values. IS
Neither John nor Trevor ______ like car racing. LIKES
The family ______ different views of the issue. HAVE - the subject refers to the individuals of
a group.
Physics ______ with light, sound, heat, electricity and matter in motion. DEALS
Two kilometres ______ not far. IS
Here ______ a list of things we need to buy. IS
None of us ______ perfect.
IS10
All the necessary preparations _______ been done already. HAVE
The first thing the detective noticed ______ footsteps all over the house. WAS

Alex is one of those guys who ______ beer to spirits. PREFER
Everybody _____ expected to be here by 7 a.m. IS
The rich ______ richer, while the poor _______ poorer. GET11
Neither of the men ______ working. IS12
The United States _______ a country of opportunity. IS
The problem at the picnic ________ wasps. WAS
Most of the children _______ in good health. ARE
A number of citizens __________ complained about the new law. HAVE

8

When subjects are joined by “either...or,” “neither...nor,” “not only...but also,” the verb agrees with the
subject closest to it.
9
A title, organization, or country, even when plural in form, usually takes a singular verb.
10
None and all can take a singular or a plural verb, depending on what they mean. Use a
singular verb when none means no one, not one or not any, but a plural verb when none
suggests more than one person. Similarly, all takes a singular verb when meaning the whole,
but a plural verb when meaning all the particulars.
11
Adjectives proceeded by THE and used as plural nouns take a plural verb.
12
Remember - each someone anyone nobody one somebody no one anybody everyone everybody
subjects always take singular verbs.