ACT English Quiz: Agreement

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Agreement, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for ACT English.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. NO CHANGE
2. the box of donated books from the library sale were
3. the box of donated books from the library sale is (correct answer)
4. the box of donated books from the library sale have been

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement when prepositional phrases separate the subject from the verb. The true subject is 'the box' — singular — even though the modifiers 'of donated books' and 'from the library sale' mention many books, so the singular verb in 'the box of donated books from the library sale is' is correct. Present tense also fits, since 'more readers keep arriving' describes what is happening now. The wording that keeps 'are' treats the plural 'books' as the subject, 'were' does the same while shifting to the past, and 'have been' is likewise a plural verb form. Bracket every phrase beginning with 'of,' 'from,' 'in,' or 'with,' then read the sentence without them to find the noun the verb must match.

Question 2

1. was
2. is (correct answer)
3. were
4. are

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with an indefinite pronoun. The subject is 'Neither,' which is always singular; 'of the options' is a prepositional phrase that tells you what the pronoun refers to but never controls the verb. Because the sentence describes a present condition, the singular present verb 'is' is correct. Keeping the original 'are' and choosing 'were' both treat 'Neither' as plural, and 'was' is singular but needlessly shifts the sentence into the past. Remember that 'neither,' 'either,' 'each,' 'every,' 'one,' and 'everyone' are singular no matter how many things follow 'of' — ignore the of-phrase and match the verb to the pronoun.

Question 3

1. NO CHANGE
2. was displayed near the register
3. is displayed near the register (correct answer)
4. were displayed near the register

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement across an intervening phrase. The subject is 'batch,' which is singular, and the phrase 'along with a tray of muffins' is an add-on modifier, not part of the subject, so it cannot make the verb plural. The surrounding verbs 'lists' and 'can grab' establish present tense, so the sentence needs a singular present verb, which is why 'is displayed near the register' is correct. Leaving the original 'are displayed near the register' treats the singular 'batch' as plural, 'were displayed near the register' is both plural and past, and 'was displayed near the register' is singular but shifts the passage out of present tense. When a phrase like 'along with,' 'as well as,' or 'in addition to' separates the subject from the verb, cross it out and re-check agreement with the noun that remains.

Question 4

1. was
2. have (correct answer)
3. were
4. has

Explanation: This question tests the difference between 'a number of' and 'the number of.' 'A number of' simply means 'several,' so the plural noun after it — here 'students' — controls the verb, making the plural 'have' correct in 'A number of students have signed up.' Keeping the original 'has' treats the phrase as singular, which is the rule for 'the number of' instead. 'Was' is both singular and past, and 'were' is past as well, so neither fits a sentence about students who are signed up for the course now. Memorize the pair: 'the number of' takes a singular verb, 'a number of' takes a plural verb — then confirm the tense before you commit.

Question 5

1. NO CHANGE
2. the committee for the new exhibit were
3. the committee for the new exhibit are
4. the committee for the new exhibit has (correct answer)

Explanation: The subject of this sentence is 'the committee,' and 'for the new exhibit' is only a prepositional phrase telling you which committee. The rule has two parts: a phrase sitting between the subject and the verb never changes agreement, and a collective noun like 'committee' takes a singular verb when the group is acting as a single unit. That makes 'the committee for the new exhibit has agreed' the correct form. The versions built on 'have,' 'are,' and 'were' all attach plural verbs to a singular subject; they sound plausible only if you picture the individual members instead of the body itself. When a phrase separates the subject from the verb, cross the phrase out and read the subject and verb side by side.

Question 6

1. were
2. are
3. was (correct answer)
4. is

Explanation: The subject here is 'everyone,' and indefinite pronouns ending in -one, -body, and -thing are always singular no matter how many people they cover. The rule is to ignore the prepositional phrase 'in the group' entirely when you pick the verb. Leaving the original 'were' pairs a plural verb with a singular subject, and 'are' repeats that mistake in the present tense. 'Is' gets the number right but shifts the sentence out of the past-tense narration, which leaves the singular past form 'was' as the only version that matches both number and tense. After an indefinite pronoun, cross out the phrase that follows it, then check the verb for number and tense together.

Question 7

1. is
2. was (correct answer)
3. are
4. were

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement across an intervening prepositional phrase. The subject is 'box,' which is singular; 'of crayons' only tells you what is inside the box and never changes the number of the subject. Because 'when I left' places the sentence in the past, the singular past verb 'was' is the right fit. Leaving the original 'were' makes the verb plural to match 'crayons' instead of 'box,' while 'are' is both plural and in the wrong tense, and 'is' has the right number but wrong tense for a completed past action. Handle these in two steps: strip out the 'of' phrase to find the true subject, then match the verb's tense to the time markers elsewhere in the sentence.

Question 8

1. NO CHANGE
2. rehearsed in the lobby between scenes
3. rehearses in the lobby between scenes (correct answer)
4. are rehearsing in the lobby between scenes

Explanation: This item tests subject-verb agreement when a phrase set off by commas intervenes. The subject is 'The chorus,' a singular collective noun, and 'along with the lead actors' is an interrupting phrase that never makes a singular subject plural, so 'rehearses in the lobby between scenes' is correct. Leaving the original 'rehearse' matches the verb to 'the lead actors,' and 'are rehearsing' is plural for the same reason. The version with 'rehearsed' agrees in number but reports a finished past action, while the sentence describes what the group does as an ongoing habit to save time before opening night. Phrases like 'along with,' 'as well as,' and 'in addition to' do not create a plural subject, so read the sentence with the interrupter deleted before you pick the verb.

Question 9

1. are
2. was
3. were
4. is (correct answer)

Explanation: This item tests subject-verb agreement with a collective noun followed by a prepositional phrase. The subject is 'group,' which is singular when the group acts as one unit, and 'of musicians' only identifies who belongs to it, so 'is performing tonight' is correct. Leaving the original 'are' matches the verb to 'musicians' instead of to 'group.' The versions with 'was' and 'were' place the concert in the past, which contradicts 'tonight,' and 'were' is plural besides. Delete the 'of  ' phrase, identify the head noun, and match the verb to that noun and to the sentence's time markers.

Question 10

1. NO CHANGE
2. were updated every hour by a student helper
3. is updated every hour by a student helper (correct answer)
4. have been updated every hour by a student helper

Explanation: The verb must agree with the head noun of the subject, not with a plural noun inside an intervening prepositional phrase. The subject here is 'The list,' a single sign-in sheet, and 'of names near the entrance' only describes it, so the singular 'is updated every hour by a student helper' is correct; it also matches the present-tense frame of 'so late arrivals can still be counted.' Keeping the original 'are updated' agrees with 'names' rather than with 'list'; 'were updated' shifts the routine into the past even though it is ongoing; and 'have been updated' is both plural and a tense that treats an hourly routine as a finished stretch of time. Cross out any 'of' phrase between the subject and the verb, then check agreement against what is left.

Question 11

1. is
2. was (correct answer)
3. are
4. were

Explanation: Some nouns end in 's' but are grammatically singular, and 'news' is one of them, along with 'mathematics,' 'physics,' and 'economics.' Because 'news' takes a singular verb and the sentence describes a completed broadcast, 'was' is correct: singular and past. Leaving the original 'were' treats 'news' as a plural, and 'are' makes the same mistake while also switching to the present tense; 'is' gets the number right but changes a finished event into an ongoing one. Do not let a final 's' decide number for you — check whether the noun names one thing, and let the surrounding sentence set the tense.

Question 12

1. NO CHANGE
2. swam close to the glass when visitors approach
3. swim close to the glass when visitors approach (correct answer)
4. is swimming close to the glass when visitors approach

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement when a prepositional phrase sits between the subject and the verb. The subject here is 'A variety of fish,' and with 'a variety of' the emphasis falls on the plural things being counted, so the plural 'swim close to the glass when visitors approach' is correct. Keeping the original 'swims close to the glass when visitors approach' treats the phrase as singular, and 'is swimming close to the glass when visitors approach' makes the same singular mistake while also narrowing the meaning to one moment in progress. The version beginning 'swam' shifts to the past tense even though the rest of the sentence, 'when visitors approach,' stays in the present, creating an unnecessary tense mismatch. When a phrase like 'of fish' separates the subject from the verb, cross it out, decide whether the real subject is singular or plural, and only then pick the verb.

Question 13

1. were
2. are (correct answer)
3. was
4. is

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with a quantity word followed by a prepositional phrase. The subject is 'A few,' which is always plural, and 'of the cookies' merely identifies what the few are, so the plural present verb 'are' is correct. Keeping the original 'is' treats a plural subject as singular, and 'was' makes the same number error in the past tense. The wording 'were' has the right number but shifts to the past, which does not fit a description of what is missing from the jar right now. Learn the quantity words that are inherently plural, including 'a few,' 'several,' 'many,' and 'both,' then check tense separately from number.

Question 14

1. NO CHANGE
2. was asked to include their address (correct answer)
3. were asked to include his or her address
4. was asked to include its address

Explanation: This question tests pronoun-antecedent agreement and subject-verb agreement with the indefinite pronoun 'everyone.' The antecedent 'everyone' is grammatically singular, requiring the singular verb 'was asked.' Modern usage accepts the plural pronoun 'their' with singular indefinite pronouns for inclusivity. Choice A incorrectly uses the plural verb 'were asked' with the singular subject 'everyone,' while choices C and D use inappropriate pronouns ('his or her' is overly formal in modern usage, and 'its' is incorrect for people). The correct answer combines the singular verb with the accepted plural pronoun.

Question 15

1. NO CHANGE (correct answer)
2. are
3. was
4. were

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns emphasizing unity. The subject 'jury' is a singular collective noun acting as one unified body in deliberating. The singular verb 'is' correctly agrees with 'jury.' The use of 'its verdict' further confirms that the jury is acting as a single entity. Choice B 'are' would incorrectly treat the subject as plural, while choices C and D use past tense inappropriately. Collective nouns take singular verbs when emphasizing group unity.

Question 16

1. NO CHANGE
2. is deciding (correct answer)
3. were deciding
4. decide

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns. The subject 'the team' is singular in American English when referring to a group acting as a unit, even with the prepositional phrase 'of painters' suggesting plurality. The original verb 'are deciding' is plural, which does not agree with the singular subject. The correct choice, 'is deciding,' uses the singular verb to match 'team.' Distractors like 'were deciding' shift to past tense, and 'decide' lacks proper conjugation. For collective nouns like 'team' or 'committee,' use a singular verb unless the members are acting individually.

Question 17

1. NO CHANGE (correct answer)
2. are flickering
3. were flickering
4. have flickered

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns. The subject 'the pair' is singular when treated as a unit, despite referring to two 'spotlights,' and the prepositional phrase 'of spotlights above the aisle' does not change its number. The original verb 'is flickering' correctly matches the singular subject. Choices like 'are flickering' incorrectly treat 'pair' as plural, while 'were flickering' and 'have flickered' alter the tense without justification. In agreement questions, collective nouns like 'pair' or 'group' are often singular if acting as one entity, so check the context for unity.

Question 18

1. NO CHANGE
2. is meeting (correct answer)
3. were meeting
4. meet

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns. The subject 'committee' is a collective noun treated as singular when acting as a unit, as here in 'meeting to select finalists.' The sentence describes a future action in present tense, fitting with 'hope' and 'are strong.' Choice B, 'is meeting,' correctly uses the singular verb 'is' to agree with 'committee.' Choice A uses plural 'are,' C shifts to past 'were,' and D uses base 'meet,' which is incomplete. Collective nouns like 'committee' are usually singular unless members act individually.

Question 19

1. NO CHANGE
2. are expecting
3. is expected (correct answer)
4. were expected

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, particularly with indefinite pronouns. The subject 'everyone' is singular, even though it refers to multiple people 'in the lab,' and the prepositional phrase does not alter its singular status. The original verb 'are expected' is plural, failing to agree with the subject. The correct choice, 'is expected,' uses the singular verb to match 'everyone.' Distractors such as 'are expecting' and 'were expected' maintain plural forms or shift tenses inappropriately. Indefinite pronouns like 'everyone,' 'each,' and 'anybody' are always singular, so ensure the verb is singular regardless of surrounding plural nouns.

Question 20

1. NO CHANGE
2. are difficult to control
3. was difficult to control (correct answer)
4. have been difficult to control

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, focusing on indefinite pronouns in phrases. The subject 'one' is singular, despite being part of the phrase 'one of the variables,' where 'variables' is plural but does not control the verb. The original verb 'were difficult' is plural, mismatching the singular subject. The correct choice, 'was difficult to control,' provides the singular verb in the appropriate past tense. Choices like 'are difficult to control' keep the plural form, and 'have been difficult' unnecessarily uses perfect tense. In phrases like 'one of the [plural noun],' the verb always agrees with the singular 'one,' ignoring the plural element.