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Sumit and Jane ____ working overtime to complete the

new project. (is/are)

Answer

Sumit & Jane are working overtime to complete the

new project.
Subject: Sumit & I (plural)
Verb: are (plural)
Rule: Two subjects joined using and makes the
subject plural, hence the verb is plural.

Jeopardy
Board

The emails _____ in my inbox till yesterday. (were/was)

Answer

The emails were in my inbox till yesterday.

Subject: emails (plural)
Verb: were (plural)

Jeopardy
Board

The speakers ____ on the desk. (was/were)

Answer

The speakers were on the desk.

Subject: speakers (plural)
Verb: were (plural)
Rule: Speakers, glasses, trousers etc. are regarded plural, hence
require plural verb.

Jeopardy
Board

Everybody _______ Shanti, because she is our top

performer. (know/ knows)

Answer

Everybody knows Shanti, because she is our top performer.

Subject: Everybody (singular)
Verb: knows (singular)
Rule: The words each, each one, either, neither, everyone,
everybody, anybody, anyone, nobody, somebody, someone, and no
one are singular and require a singular verb.

Jeopardy
Board

Trousers ____ well with shirts, especially when you

dress to work. (go/ goes)

Answer

Trousers go well with shirts, especially when you dress to work.

Subject: Trousers (plural)
Verb: go (plural)
Rule: Nouns such as scissors, tweezers, trousers, and shears require
plural verbs. (There are two parts to these things.)

Jeopardy
Board

None of the employees _____ a bonus.

(expects, expect)

Answer

None of the employees expect a bonus.

None can be singular or plural depending on the noun it denotes
Subject = employees (plural)
Verb = expect (plural)

Jeopardy
Board

The news from the client ___ good. (is/are)

Answer

The news from the client ___ good. (is/are)

Subject: news (singular)
Verb: is (singular)
Rule: Some words end in -s and appear to be
plural but are really singular and require singular
verbs.

Jeopardy
Board

I hope everyone ____ completed the work assigned by

the manager.
(has/have)

Answer

I hope everyone has completed the work assigned by the

manager.
Subject: everyone (singular)
Verb: has (singular)
Rule: The indefinite pronouns anyone, everyone, someone, no one,
nobody are always singular and, therefore, require singular verbs.

Jeopardy
Board

All of the files, including yours, ____ sent to the client.

(are/is)

Answer

All of the files, including yours, are sent to the client.

Subject: files (plural)
Verb: are (plural)
Rule: Expressions such as with, together with, including,
accompanied by, in addition to, or as well do not change the number
of the subject. If the subject is singular, the verb is too.

Jeopardy
Board

My customers _____ like to be told what to do. (doesnt/

dont)

Answer

My customers dont like to be told what to do.

Subject: customers (plural)
Verb: dont (plural)

Jeopardy
Board

Who _____ this kind of an email? (draft/drafts)

Answer

Who drafts this kind of an email?

Subject: Who (singular)
Verb: drafts (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

Each of the files in the cabinet are new.

(Correct the sentence if required)

Answer

Each of the files in the cabinet is new.

Subject = Each (singular)
Verb = is (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

The team ____ in a lot of efforts to make this project a

success. (put/puts)

Answer

The team ____ in a lot of efforts to make this project a success.

(put/puts)
Subject: team (singular)
Verb: puts (singular)
Rule: Collective nouns are words that imply more than one person
but they are considered singular and take a singular verb, such as
group, team, committee, class, and family

Jeopardy
Board

None of the customers _____ responded to the

reminder. (has/have)

Answer

None of the customers have responded to the reminder.

Subject: customers (plural)
Verb: have (plural)
Rule: The verb depends on the noun that follows none

Jeopardy
Board

The associates or the team leader _____ the meeting

regularly. (attend/ attends)

Answer

The associates or the team leader attends the meeting regularly.

Subject: team leader (singular)
Verb: attends (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

There ____________ a list of committee members on the

table.
(is/are)

Answer

There is a list of committee members on the table.

Subject = list (singular)
Verb = is (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

Either the team leaders or the manager ____ going to

meet us soon. (is/are)

Answer

Either the team leaders or the manager is

going to meet us soon.
Subjects: manager (singular)
Verb: is (singular)
Rule: When subjects are connected by or, the
subject closer to the verb (which is, in this case,
singular) determines the number of the verb.

Jeopardy
Board

Neither of them ___ going to help you with drafting the

email. (is/ are)

Answer

Neither of them is going to help you with drafting the email.

Subject: Neither (singular)
Verb: is (singular)
Rule: The pronouns neither and either are singular and require
singular verbs even though they seem to be referring, in a sense, to
two things.

Jeopardy
Board

Some of the data ____ missing. (appear/appears)

Answer

Some of the data appears missing.

Subject: data (singular)
Verb: appears (singular)
Rule: The verb depends on the noun that follows some

Jeopardy
Board

Each of these emails ____ cleverly drafted. (is/ are)

Answer

Each of these emails is cleverly drafted.

Subject: Each (singular)
Verb: is (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

The HR team _____ how to proceed, in such cases.

(decides/ decide)

Answer

The HR team decides how to proceed, in

such cases.
Subject: team (singular)
Verb: decides (singular)
Rule: Collective nouns are words that imply
more than one person but that are considered
singular and take a singular verb, such as group,
team, committee, class, and family.

Jeopardy
Board

Each of us ________ to submit a report. (plan/plans)

Answer

Each of us plans to give a report

Subject = Each (singular)
Verb = plans (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

The customers as well as the dealer ____ not been

happy with the service. (have/has)

Answer

The customers as well as the dealer have not been happy with
the service.
Subject: customers (plural)
Verb: have (plural)
Rule: Phrases such as together with, as well as, and along with are
not the same as and.

Jeopardy
Board

Ill do my best to _____ this issue for you.

(resolve/resolves)

Answer

Ill do my best to resolve this issue for you.

Subject: I (singular)
Verb: resolve (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

The manager, accompanied by his team, _______

traveling to India.(is/are)

Answer

The manager, accompanied by his team, is traveling to India.

Subject: manager (singular)
Verb: is (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

The council ________ in favor of athletic activities.

(is/are)

Answer

The council is in favor of athletic activities.

Subject : council (singular)
Verb: is (singular)
Collective nouns are followed by a singular noun

Jeopardy
Board

________either of the web sites working?

(is/are)

Answer

Is either of the web sites working?

Subject = either (singular)
Verb = is (singular)

Jeopardy
Board

Neither the customer nor the client _____ called back

regarding this issue. (has/have)

Answer

Neither the customer nor the client has called back regarding
this issue.
Subject: client (singular)
Verb: has (singular)
Rule: When nor or or is used, the subject closer to the verb
determines the verb.

Jeopardy
Board

A pair of black speakers _____ on the desk. (was/were)

Answer

A pair of black speakers was on the desk.

Subject: pair (singular)
Verb: was (singular)
Rule: Speakers, pliers, scissors etc. are regarded as plural (and
require plural verbs) unless they're preceded by the phrase pair of
(in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

Jeopardy
Board

A pair of black speakers was on the desk.

Subject: pair (singular)
Verb: was (singular)
Rule: Speakers, pliers, scissors etc. are regarded as plural (and
require plural verbs) unless they're preceded by the phrase pair of
(in which case the word pair becomes the subject).

Jeopardy
Board

Saving five dollars a day for our business ____ still a lot
of money. (is/are)

Answer

Saving five dollars a day for our business is still a lot of money.
Subject: saving - singular
Verb: is singular
Rule: the word dollars is a special case. When talking about an
amount of money, it requires a singular verb, but when referring to
the dollars themselves, a plural verb is required.

Jeopardy
Board