ACT English · Learn by Concept
Review real example questions for Agreement in ACT English.
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During the spring clean-up, the box of donated books from the library sale sat near the doorway, and volunteers sorted titles by genre. By noon, the box of donated books from the library sale are nearly empty, even though more readers keep arriving with bags to add.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
During the spring clean-up, the box of donated books from the library sale sat near the doorway, and volunteers sorted titles by genre. By noon, the box of donated books from the library sale are nearly empty, even though more readers keep arriving with bags to add.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
At the student-run café, the menu board lists smoothies, teas, and a rotating soup. The new batch of cookies, along with a tray of muffins, are displayed near the register so customers can grab something quickly between classes.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
At the museum, the committee for the new exhibit reviewed the final labels, lighting cues, and audio guide scripts. After a long discussion, the committee for the new exhibit have agreed to open the show a week early to match the school field-trip schedule.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
Everyone in the group were excited about the upcoming trip. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
The box of crayons were on the table when I left. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
At the community theater, the director asked for quiet while the cast reviewed stage directions. The chorus, along with the lead actors, rehearse in the lobby between scenes to save time before opening night.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
The group of musicians are performing tonight at the concert hall. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
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?
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.
The news were broadcasted live on television. Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.
At the aquarium, a volunteer explained how coral reefs support many different species. A variety of fish in the tropical tank swims close to the glass when visitors approach, hoping for food.
Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?
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.