- Select the sentence with a pronoun consistency error.
Answer: When someone calls the office, you should answer professionally and courteously.
Choice A is correct because it contains a pronoun consistency error, shifting from third person 'someone' to second person 'you.' The sentence should maintain consistency with either 'he or she' or 'one.' Choice B correctly maintains third person throughout with 'his' and 'they.' Choice C correctly maintains third person with 'a person' and 'he or she.' Choice D correctly uses plural pronouns throughout ('All students' and 'their').
- Choose the sentence with the correct verb form.
Answer: The main reason for the delays, according to hospital administrators, is the new software system.
This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically your ability to identify the true subject of a sentence when it's separated from the verb by intervening phrases or clauses.
To find the correct verb form, you need to locate the main subject and ignore the distracting elements between the subject and verb. In all options, the main subject is "reason" (singular), which requires the singular verb "is." The phrase "according to hospital administrators" is a prepositional phrase that interrupts the subject-verb relationship but doesn't change it.
Option D correctly pairs the singular subject "reason" with the singular verb "is," maintaining proper subject-verb agreement throughout the sentence.
Option A incorrectly uses "are" (plural) with "reason" (singular). The plural verb doesn't match the singular subject, regardless of the intervening phrase.
Option B creates a mismatch by using "reasons" (plural subject) with "is" (singular verb). This reverse error shows the same fundamental misunderstanding of subject-verb agreement.
Option C makes the same mistake as option A, using the plural verb "are" with the singular subject "reason." The relative clause "which has frustrated many" doesn't change the fact that "reason" needs a singular verb.
When tackling subject-verb agreement questions on the TEAS, always identify the main subject first, then mentally cross out any prepositional phrases, relative clauses, or other interrupting elements. The core subject-verb relationship should remain grammatically sound even when these distracting elements are removed.
- Which of the following sentences contains an error in subject-verb agreement?
Answer: The new series of lectures are scheduled to begin next Monday.
Subject-verb agreement questions test whether you can identify when the subject and verb in a sentence don't match in number (singular vs. plural). The key is correctly identifying the true subject, especially when collective nouns, compound subjects, or misleading phrases are involved.
Let's examine each option. In choice A, "news" is the subject—even though it ends in 's', news is always singular, so "is encouraging" is correct. Choice B uses "Physics" as the subject, which despite referring to multiple concepts, is treated as a singular academic discipline, making "is a prerequisite" appropriate. Choice C has "Mumps" as the subject—like other disease names ending in 's' (measles, diabetes), mumps takes singular verbs, so "was" is correct.
Choice D contains the error: "The new series of lectures are scheduled to begin next Monday." The subject here is "series," not "lectures." The phrase "of lectures" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "series" but doesn't affect the verb agreement. Since "series" can be singular or plural depending on context, you need to look at the article—"the new series" indicates we're talking about one series. Therefore, the verb should be "is scheduled," not "are scheduled."
When tackling subject-verb agreement questions, always identify the core subject by crossing out prepositional phrases and other modifiers that might distract you. Watch especially for collective nouns, words ending in 's' that are actually singular, and subjects separated from their verbs by long phrases.
- Which sentence demonstrates correct pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Answer: The nurse and the orderly finished their shifts at the same time.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement questions test whether you can match pronouns to their antecedents in both number (singular/plural) and gender. The key is identifying what the pronoun refers to and ensuring they agree grammatically.
In this sentence, the pronoun must refer back to "the nurse and the orderly." When two singular nouns are joined by "and," they create a plural antecedent that requires a plural pronoun. Answer choice C correctly uses "their" (plural pronoun) to refer to both people, and logically uses "shifts" (plural) since each person works their own shift.
Let's examine why the other options fail. Choice A uses "his," a singular masculine pronoun, which incorrectly assumes both workers are male and treats the compound subject as singular. Choice B uses "its," which is reserved for non-human things or animals—never for people. Choice D uses "her," a singular feminine pronoun that assumes both workers are female and again treats the plural subject as singular.
The gender assumptions in choices A and D represent a common trap. When you don't know the gender of people in a compound subject, or when the subject includes people of different genders, always use the gender-neutral plural pronoun "their."
Remember this pattern: compound subjects joined by "and" are almost always plural and require plural pronouns. When you see two or more people connected by "and," immediately look for plural pronouns like "they," "them," or "their" in your answer choices.
- Which sentence correctly follows the rules of pronoun-antecedent agreement?
Answer: Either the team captain or the players will get their photo taken first.
Pronoun-antecedent agreement questions with compound subjects joined by "either...or" test a specific rule: the pronoun must agree with the antecedent closest to it. This is called the proximity rule, and it's crucial when the subjects differ in number or gender.
When you have "either...or" constructions, the verb and any pronouns agree with whichever noun comes second (closest to the verb). In choice C, "Either the team captain or the players will get their photo taken first," the pronoun "their" correctly agrees with "players" since "players" is the closer antecedent. Since "players" is plural, the plural pronoun "their" is appropriate.
Choice A fails because "his" agrees with the distant antecedent "players" rather than the closer "team captain," and creates a mismatch since "players" is plural but "his" is singular. Choice B incorrectly uses "their" to agree with the distant plural "players" when it should agree with the closer singular "team captain." Choice D makes the same proximity error as A and B, using "his" (singular) when the closer antecedent "players" requires a plural pronoun.
Remember this key strategy for "either...or" and "neither...nor" constructions: always make your pronoun agree with the second noun in the pair. If you see these constructions on the TEAS, immediately identify which subject comes second, determine if it's singular or plural, then choose the pronoun that matches. This proximity rule overrides what might seem logical based on the first subject mentioned.
- Find the sentence that contains a subject-verb agreement error.
Answer: Here is the textbook and the workbook you need for the class.
Subject-verb agreement questions test whether you can identify when the subject and verb in a sentence don't match in number (singular vs. plural). The key challenge is correctly identifying the true subject, especially when the sentence structure might obscure it.
Let's examine each sentence carefully. In choice A, "Behind the filing cabinets were the missing lab results," the subject is "lab results" (plural), which correctly matches the plural verb "were." The prepositional phrase "behind the filing cabinets" doesn't affect this agreement.
Choice B presents "There are several discrepancies in the patient's chart." Here, "discrepancies" is the plural subject, properly paired with the plural verb "are." The word "there" is just an expletive—not the actual subject.
In choice C, "Across the street from the clinic is a pharmacy," the singular subject "pharmacy" correctly matches the singular verb "is." Again, the prepositional phrase doesn't change the agreement.
Choice D contains the error: "Here is the textbook and the workbook you need for the class." The subject is compound—"the textbook and the workbook"—making it plural. However, the verb "is" is singular, creating a disagreement. The correct verb should be "are."
The trap in choice D is that "textbook" appears right next to the verb "is," making the singular verb sound correct at first glance. However, compound subjects joined by "and" are always plural and require plural verbs.
Remember: When subjects are joined by "and," they're plural regardless of whether the individual parts are singular. Always identify the complete subject before checking verb agreement.
- Which sentence contains correct subject-verb agreement?
Answer: A number of students have expressed concerns about the new policy.
Choice C is correct because 'A number of students' takes a plural verb 'have' (the phrase emphasizes the individual students). Choice A incorrectly uses singular verb; with 'either...or,' the verb should agree with the closer subject 'workers' (plural). Choice B incorrectly uses singular verb; 'scissors' is always plural and requires 'need.' Choice D incorrectly uses plural verb; 'furniture' is a mass noun requiring singular verb 'needs.'
- Which sentence demonstrates incorrect subject-verb agreement?
Answer: The news from the financial markets were quite encouraging yesterday.
Choice C is correct because it contains a subject-verb agreement error. 'News' is singular and requires the singular verb 'was,' not the plural 'were.' Choice A correctly uses singular verb with singular subject 'collection.' Choice B correctly uses singular verb because 'Five dollars' refers to an amount of money. Choice D correctly uses singular verb with 'Mathematics,' which is treated as a singular subject despite ending in 's.'
- Select the sentence that demonstrates correct pronoun usage.
Answer: Somebody left his keys on the conference room table this morning.
Choice D is correct because 'Somebody' is singular and correctly takes the singular pronoun 'his.' In formal writing, singular indefinite pronouns require singular pronoun references. Choice A incorrectly uses plural 'their' with singular 'Anyone.' Choice B incorrectly uses plural 'their' with singular 'Each nurse.' Choice C incorrectly uses plural 'their' with singular 'Everyone.'
- Select the sentence that demonstrates correct pronoun usage.
Answer: Each participant in the study signed his or her informed consent form.
Choice C is correct because 'Each participant' is singular and correctly takes the singular pronoun 'his or her.' This maintains proper pronoun-antecedent agreement and person consistency. Choice A shifts incorrectly from third person 'student' to second person 'you.' Choice B is grammatically correct but choice C is the better example of formal agreement. Choice D uses plural 'their' with singular 'Everyone.'
- Select the sentence that contains a pronoun consistency error.
Answer: If you want to improve your writing, one must practice regularly.
Choice A is correct because it contains a pronoun consistency error, shifting from second person 'you/your' to third person 'one.' The sentence should maintain consistent person throughout (either 'If you want to improve your writing, you must practice' or 'If one wants to improve one's writing, one must practice'). Choice B maintains third person throughout. Choice C correctly maintains third person with 'writers/their/they.' Choice D correctly maintains third person with 'author/her/her.'
- Select the sentence with the correct subject-verb agreement.
Answer: The family is gathering for a reunion at the park this weekend.
Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns is a common challenge on the TEAS exam. Collective nouns like "jury," "family," "faculty," and "staff" can be tricky because they refer to groups that can be viewed as either single units or collections of individuals.
Choice B is correct because "family" is treated as a single unit performing one action together—gathering for a reunion. The singular verb "is" properly agrees with this singular interpretation of the collective noun.
Choice A incorrectly uses "have" with "jury." While "jury" can sometimes take plural verbs when emphasizing individual members, the phrase "after many hours of discussion" suggests the jury worked as a unified body, so the singular "has" would be more appropriate here.
Choice C creates confusion by using the singular "has" with "differing opinions." When a collective noun emphasizes individual members having different views or actions (like differing opinions), it should take a plural verb: "The faculty have differing opinions."
Choice D contains a pronoun agreement error alongside the verb issue. "Staff" takes the plural "are," but then the sentence incorrectly uses the singular pronoun "its." It should be either "The staff is holding its meeting" (singular unit) or "The staff are holding their meeting" (individual members).
Remember this key principle: when a collective noun acts as one unified group, use singular verbs and pronouns. When it emphasizes individual members acting separately, use plural forms. Look for context clues in the sentence to determine which interpretation makes sense.
- Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?
Answer: A number of students was waiting to see the academic advisor.
Subject-verb agreement questions test whether you can identify when the subject and verb in a sentence don't match in number (singular vs. plural). The key is correctly identifying the true subject and determining whether it's singular or plural.
The correct answer is B because it contains a clear subject-verb agreement error. "A number of students" takes a plural verb because when you say "a number of," you're emphasizing the plural items (students) that make up that number. Therefore, it should read "A number of students were waiting," not "was waiting."
Let's examine why the other options are correct: Choice A uses "The number of hours," which takes a singular verb ("has") because "the number" refers to a single, specific quantity. Choice C follows the same pattern—"The number of correct answers" is treated as one unit, so "determines" (singular) is correct. Choice D properly uses "A number of important files are missing" because, like in option B, "a number of" emphasizes the plural items (files) and requires a plural verb ("are").
The distinction between "the number of" (singular) and "a number of" (plural) is crucial. "The number" treats the quantity as one unit, while "a number" emphasizes the individual items within that group. Watch for this pattern on the TEAS—questions often test whether you can distinguish between these two phrases and their different grammatical requirements.
- Choose the sentence that is grammatically correct.
Answer: Several of the vials were mislabeled by the new technician.
This question tests subject-verb agreement with indefinite pronouns, a common grammar concept where you must match the verb form to whether the subject is singular or plural.
Why A is correct: "Several of the vials were mislabeled" uses proper subject-verb agreement. "Several" is a plural indefinite pronoun, so it requires the plural verb "were." The sentence structure is also grammatically sound with appropriate passive voice construction.
Why the other answers are wrong: Option B contains a subject-verb disagreement: "Few of the research participants was able" incorrectly pairs the plural indefinite pronoun "few" with the singular verb "was." It should be "were able." Option C makes the same error: "Many of the applicants hopes" incorrectly matches the plural "many" with the singular verb "hopes." The correct form would be "hope." Option D repeats this pattern: "Both of the options appears" wrongly combines the plural "both" with the singular "appears." It should be "appear."
Study tip: When you encounter indefinite pronouns like "several," "few," "many," "both," "all," or "some," determine whether they're singular or plural by context. Words like "both," "few," "many," and "several" are always plural and need plural verbs. However, words like "each," "everyone," and "somebody" are singular. Pay special attention to the main subject—don't let prepositional phrases like "of the vials" distract you from the true subject that determines verb agreement.
- Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?
Answer: Here comes the delivery trucks with the office supplies we ordered.
Choice D is correct because it contains a subject-verb agreement error. The subject 'trucks' is plural and requires the plural verb 'come,' not the singular 'comes.' The word 'Here' is an adverb, not the subject. Choice A correctly uses singular verb with 'The number of.' Choice B correctly uses plural verb with compound subject joined by 'and.' Choice C correctly uses singular verb agreeing with the closer subject 'magazine.'
- Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?
Answer: All of the equipment in the lab needs to be calibrated.
Subject-verb agreement questions test your ability to match singular verbs with singular subjects and plural verbs with plural subjects. The challenge often lies in identifying the true subject, especially when prepositional phrases create distance between the subject and verb.
The correct answer is D because "all of the equipment" takes a singular verb. While "all" can be either singular or plural depending on context, here it refers to equipment, which is a non-count noun treated as singular. Therefore, "needs" (singular) correctly agrees with the subject.
Let's examine why the other options fail: Option A incorrectly uses "seem" (plural) with "most of the research." Since research is typically uncountable and singular, it should be "seems." Option B pairs "half of the students" with "has" (singular), but since students is plural, the verb should be "have." Option C uses "are" (plural) with "some of the information," but information is uncountable and requires the singular verb "is."
The key pattern here involves indefinite pronouns (most, half, some, all) followed by prepositional phrases. The verb agreement depends on the object of the preposition, not the indefinite pronoun itself. When the object is countable and plural (like "students"), use a plural verb. When it's uncountable or singular (like "research," "information," or "equipment"), use a singular verb.
Remember: Don't let prepositional phrases distract you from proper subject-verb agreement. Focus on whether the actual subject is countable/uncountable and singular/plural.
- Which sentence has incorrect subject-verb agreement?
Answer: The glasses on the table needs to be cleaned before the dinner.
Choice C is correct because it contains a subject-verb agreement error. 'Glasses' (eyewear) is plural and requires the plural verb 'need,' not the singular 'needs.' Choice A correctly uses singular verb with singular 'series.' Choice B correctly uses plural verb with 'Athletics' when referring to sports programs collectively. Choice D correctly uses plural verb with plural 'Many of the reports.'
- Which of the following sentences is grammatically correct?
Answer: Each of the new interns has to complete his or her paperwork by noon.
This question tests subject-verb agreement and pronoun consistency, two fundamental grammar concepts that often appear together. When you encounter sentences with indefinite pronouns like "each," pay close attention to whether they're singular or plural.
The word "each" is always singular, even when followed by a prepositional phrase like "of the new interns." This means the verb must be singular ("has," not "have"). Additionally, since "each" refers to one person at a time from the group, the pronoun reference should also be singular.
Option B is correct because it uses the singular verb "has" to agree with "each" and maintains pronoun consistency with the singular "his or her." This construction properly reflects that we're talking about each individual intern completing their own paperwork.
Option A incorrectly uses the plural verb "have" with the singular subject "each." The plural noun "interns" in the prepositional phrase doesn't change the fact that "each" is singular. Option C makes the same verb error, using "have" instead of "has." Option D uses the correct singular verb "has" but creates a pronoun agreement error by pairing singular "each" with plural "their."
Watch for this common TEAS trap: when indefinite pronouns like "each," "everyone," or "somebody" are followed by prepositional phrases containing plural nouns, the verb must still agree with the singular indefinite pronoun, not the plural object of the preposition. Always identify the true subject before choosing your verb form.
- Identify the sentence with correct pronoun-antecedent agreement.
Answer: Each member of the team should submit his or her report.
Choice C is correct because 'his or her' properly agrees with the singular antecedent 'Each member.' Choice A incorrectly uses plural 'their' with singular 'Every student.' Choice B incorrectly uses plural 'their' with the collective noun 'orchestra' when treated as a single unit. Choice D incorrectly uses plural 'their' with compound subjects joined by 'neither...nor' (should be 'her' to agree with closer antecedent 'Jessica').
- Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?
Answer: Every one of the books on the shelf belong to the library.
Choice C is correct because it contains a subject-verb agreement error. 'Every one' (two words) is singular and requires the singular verb 'belongs,' not the plural 'belong.' Choice A correctly uses singular verb with collective noun 'flock.' Choice B correctly uses plural verb because 'Fifteen minutes' can be treated as multiple units. Choice D correctly uses singular verb when 'majority' is treated as a single unit.
