Agreement - ACT English

1. None of the information were relevant to the case. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: was This question tests agreement with 'none' plus tense consistency. 'None' can be singular or plural depending on what it refers to, and it refers here to 'information,' an uncountable noun that always takes a singular verb, so the singular 'was' is correct in 'None of the information was relevant to the case.' Keeping the original 'were' and choosing 'are' both treat the uncountable 'information' as plural, and 'is' is singular but shifts to present tense in a sentence about a case that has already been considered. Ask what noun follows 'of': if it is uncountable or singular, use a singular verb; if it is a countable plural, a plural verb is fine.
2. In the school's robotics lab, a small group stayed late to test a new sensor. Each of the prototypes on the workbench need a fresh battery before the final trial, according to the checklist taped to the cabinet. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: needs This question tests subject-verb agreement with the indefinite pronoun 'each.' The subject 'each of the prototypes' is singular because 'each' is always singular, regardless of the plural noun in the prepositional phrase 'of the prototypes.' The singular subject requires the singular verb 'needs.' Choice A incorrectly uses the plural verb 'need,' while choice D uses the wrong tense (past instead of present). Indefinite pronouns like each, everyone, and everybody are singular despite referring to multiple people.
3. At a science museum, visitors crowded around a display that showed how wind turbines work. One of the interactive screens near the model show detailed graphs of energy output when a button is pressed. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: shows detailed graphs of energy output This question tests subject-verb agreement. The subject is 'one of the interactive screens,' where 'one' is the singular head noun. Despite the plural noun 'screens' in the prepositional phrase, the subject is singular and requires the singular verb 'shows.' Choice A incorrectly uses the plural verb 'show,' while choices B and D create incomplete or awkward constructions. The phrase 'one of' always creates a singular subject that requires a singular verb, regardless of the plural noun that follows.
4. On the community garden sign-up sheet, the group of neighbors who share tools listed meeting times and assigned watering days. Even with the new schedule, the group of neighbors who share tools is planning to add another compost bin next month. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: NO CHANGE This question tests subject-verb agreement. The subject is 'the group,' a collective noun treated as singular when the group acts as a unit, despite 'of neighbors who share tools' describing multiple people. The relative clause modifies but does not alter the singular nature. The correct choice is A, NO CHANGE, which uses the singular verb 'is' to match the subject. Choices B and C use plural 'are' and 'were,' while D uses plural 'have,' incorrectly treating the group as plural. In agreement questions, treat collective nouns as singular unless members act separately.
5. For a podcast episode about local history, Jalen interviewed two librarians and a longtime resident. He organized the audio clips into folders labeled by topic, then wrote a brief introduction to connect the stories. Before exporting the final file, the host, along with the producers, review the transcript for errors so that names and dates are accurate. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: reviews This question tests subject-verb agreement with phrases that might seem to create compound subjects. The subject is 'the host,' which is singular, and the phrase 'along with the producers' is not part of a compound subject but an addition that does not affect the verb's number. The original verb 'review' lacks the singular '-s' ending needed for agreement. The correct choice, 'reviews,' provides the singular verb form to match 'host.' Options like 'reviewed' and 'were reviewing' introduce incorrect past tenses, potentially confusing the timeline. In agreement questions, remember that phrases like 'along with' or 'as well as' do not make the subject plural; the verb agrees only with the main subject.
6. Neither the teacher nor the students were aware of the schedule change. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: were This question tests subject-verb agreement with correlative conjunctions using 'neither...nor.' When using 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In this case, 'students' is plural and is the closer subject to the verb. The correct choice is 'were.' Options B ('was'), C ('are'), and D ('is') fail to follow the proximity rule or use incorrect tense. With correlative conjunctions like neither...nor and either...or, the verb must agree with the subject nearest to the verb.
7. At a neighborhood meeting about traffic calming, residents discussed adding crosswalks and planting trees near the intersection. Neither the mayor nor the city engineers is willing to approve the plan without updated crash data. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: are willing to approve the plan This question tests subject-verb agreement with subjects joined by 'neither...nor.' When subjects are connected by 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closer to it. Here, 'the city engineers' (plural) is closer to the verb than 'the mayor' (singular), so we need the plural verb 'are willing' (choice B). The original 'is willing' incorrectly uses a singular verb when the nearer subject is plural. This proximity rule applies to all 'either...or' and 'neither...nor' constructions - always match the verb to the subject that's closest to it.
8. The box of crayons were on the table when I left. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: was 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.
9. The flock of birds were flying south for the winter. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
   Answer: was This item tests subject-verb agreement across an intervening prepositional phrase. The subject is 'flock,' a singular collective noun that names one group acting as a unit; 'of birds' only tells you what the flock is made of and cannot control the verb, so the singular past-tense 'was' is correct. Leaving the original 'were,' like the version with 'are,' matches the verb to 'birds' instead of to the real subject and makes it plural. The version with 'is' is singular but moves the migration into the present, while the sentence reports a season's flight that has already happened. When a phrase like 'of birds' separates the subject from the verb, cross the phrase out and reread the bare subject with the verb.
10. During a neighborhood clean-up, the coordinator reminded volunteers to sign in before picking up supplies. The list of names near the entrance are updated every hour by a student helper, so late arrivals can still be counted accurately for the city's report. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: is updated every hour by a student helper 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.
11. During a neighborhood cleanup, Maya noticed that the pile of gloves, bottles, and cans near the creek kept growing as more volunteers arrived. By noon, the organizer had recorded everyone's hours, and the stack of filled trash bags by the bridge were ready for pickup before the afternoon rain. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: was ready for pickup This question tests subject-verb agreement in a sentence. The subject is 'stack,' which is singular despite the prepositional phrase 'of filled trash bags' describing it. The sentence is in past tense, as indicated by verbs like 'had recorded' and 'kept growing,' so the verb must be singular and past tense to match. Choice B, 'was ready for pickup,' correctly uses the singular past tense verb 'was' to agree with 'stack.' Choice A incorrectly uses the plural 'were,' while D uses plural present 'are,' and C uses singular present 'is,' which disrupts tense consistency. In agreement questions, always identify the true subject by eliminating intervening prepositional phrases.
12. For a science fair project, Lila tested how different soils affected bean plants. She labeled each pot, measured water carefully, and graphed growth every three days. When she wrote her conclusion, she noted that one of the variables in her experiment were difficult to control because sunlight changed throughout the week. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: was difficult to control 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.
13. In the lab report, Maya described the results of each trial and then referred back to the data table. Because each of the samples was labeled carefully, each of the samples kept their measurements easy to track throughout the experiment. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: each of the samples kept its This item tests pronoun-antecedent agreement with an indefinite pronoun. 'Each' is singular no matter how many things follow it, and 'of the samples' is a prepositional phrase that does not change the number, so the singular possessive in 'each of the samples kept its measurements' is correct. Leaving the original 'kept their' matches the pronoun to 'samples' instead of to 'each,' and 'kept their own' is still plural, just with an extra word. The wording 'kept they' uses a subject pronoun where a possessive is required, so it is not even the right kind of pronoun. When you see 'each of' or 'one of,' mentally delete the 'of the ___' phrase and make everything after it singular.
14. In biology class, the teacher passed around a small terrarium so everyone could observe how moisture collects on the glass. Each of the lab partners record their observations in a shared notebook before comparing notes with the rest of the group. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: records his or her observations This question tests both subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement. The subject 'each' is an indefinite pronoun that is always singular, even though it refers to 'the lab partners,' which might seem plural. The antecedent 'each' is singular, so the pronoun must also be singular to match. Choice C, 'records his or her observations,' correctly uses the singular verb 'records' and the singular pronoun 'his or her.' Choice A uses plural verb 'record' and plural 'their,' B uses plural 'record' with singular pronoun, and D uses plural 'record' with 'its,' which is inappropriate for people. Indefinite pronouns like 'each' are singular despite referring to multiple people, so always pair them with singular verbs and pronouns.
15. While planning a weekend hike, Jordan checked the weather and the trail map. The number of available campsites near the lake are limited during holiday weekends, so Jordan reserved a spot early. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: is limited during holiday weekends This question tests subject-verb agreement. The subject is 'the number of available campsites,' where 'number' is the singular head noun. Despite the plural noun 'campsites' in the prepositional phrase, the subject is singular and requires the singular verb 'is limited.' Choice A incorrectly uses the plural verb 'are limited,' which would incorrectly agree with 'campsites.' Choices C and D use incorrect tenses and verb forms that don't match the present context. The phrase 'the number of' creates a singular subject, while 'a number of' would be plural.
16. A majority of the votes has been counted already. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: have This question tests subject-verb agreement with the phrase 'a majority of.' Like 'a number of,' the phrase 'a majority of' typically takes a plural verb because it emphasizes the individual items that make up the majority. The subject 'a majority of the votes' requires a plural verb. The correct choice is 'have.' Options A ('has'), C ('were'), and D ('was') incorrectly use singular verbs or wrong tense. Phrases like 'a majority of' and 'a number of' take plural verbs, unlike 'the majority of' and 'the number of' which take singular verbs.
17. On Saturday mornings, the farmers' market fills the town square with music and the smell of fresh bread. The basket of peaches from the orchard down the road taste especially sweet when they are sampled at the stand. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: tastes especially sweet This question tests subject-verb agreement. The subject is 'basket,' which is singular, even though the prepositional phrase 'of peaches' describes plural items inside it. The sentence uses present tense, as in 'fills' and 'sampled,' so the verb should be singular present. Choice B, 'tastes especially sweet,' correctly uses the singular verb 'tastes' to agree with 'basket.' Choice A uses plural 'taste,' C uses plural progressive 'are tasting,' and D uses plural past 'were tasting,' which mismatches tense. In agreement questions, always identify the true subject by eliminating intervening prepositional phrases.
18. Neither of the options are suitable for the project. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: is 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.
19. In a feature article about street murals, the writer described how a team of artists planned the design and mixed paint in large buckets. Neighbors stopped to watch as the outlines took shape across the brick wall. Even though the artists worked together, the team of painters are deciding which colors to use for the border before starting the final section. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: is deciding 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.
20. After weeks of planning, the debate captain finally posted the practice schedule online. Neither the captain nor the assistant coaches was available to answer questions during lunch, so students left notes in the team mailbox. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
    Answer: were available to answer questions This question tests subject-verb agreement with correlative conjunctions. The subject is the compound 'neither the captain nor the assistant coaches,' and in 'neither...nor' constructions, the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which is 'coaches,' plural. The sentence is in past tense, as shown by 'posted' and 'left,' requiring a past plural verb. Choice B, 'were available to answer questions,' correctly uses 'were' to agree with the plural nearer subject. Choice A uses singular 'was,' C shifts to present 'are,' and D uses singular present 'is.' For 'neither...nor,' always match the verb to the subject closest to it.

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