Decide which option is correct 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 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 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 Words police, staff have plural verb Words like the news, diabetes, measles, means ( = method or money), economics, … have a singular verb If you want to emphasize that the team is playing as a unified unit, functioning as one, use Singular Words stating an amount (time, money, weight, etc.) are usually singular and take a singular verb The words belongings, earnings, goods, outskirts, premises, savings are followed by plural 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 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 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 When subjects are joined by “either or,” “neither nor,” “not only but also,” the verb agrees with the subject closest to it 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