GED Language Arts Rla Quiz: Correct Agreement Errors

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Correct Agreement Errors, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for GED Language Arts Rla.

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. were
2. was (correct answer)
3. are
4. have been

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept where the verb must match the number (singular or plural) of the true subject in a sentence. To find the correct verb form, you need to identify the real subject. The sentence begins with "One of the key factors," which might seem tricky because "factors" is plural. However, the true subject is "One" – a singular pronoun. The phrase "of the key factors" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "One" but doesn't change the fact that "One" is singular. Since the subject "One" is singular, you need a singular verb form. Option B) "was" is the singular past tense form of the verb "to be," making it the correct choice. The sentence reads: "One of the key factors in the team's defeat was the numerous turnovers." Looking at the wrong answers: A) "were" is the plural past tense form, which would incorrectly treat "factors" as the subject. C) "are" is the plural present tense form, creating the same subject-verb disagreement plus an inappropriate tense shift since "defeat" suggests a completed past event. D) "have been" is also plural and creates an unnecessarily complex perfect tense that doesn't fit the sentence structure. Watch for prepositional phrases that come between the subject and verb – they're designed to distract you from the true subject. Always identify the core subject first, then choose the verb form that agrees with it, not with words in prepositional phrases.

Question 2

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

Explanation: When you encounter sentences with phrases like "along with," "as well as," or "together with," you're dealing with a subject-verb agreement question that tests whether you can identify the true subject. The key is recognizing that "along with his campaign staff" is a prepositional phrase that doesn't affect the verb. The actual subject is "the politician" — a singular noun that requires a singular verb. Since we're talking about a future event (the politician is scheduled), we need the singular present tense form "is." Choice C ("is") correctly matches the singular subject "politician" with the appropriate singular verb form. Choice A ("are") treats the phrase as if both the politician and staff were equal subjects, but "along with his campaign staff" is just additional information, not part of the main subject. Choice B ("were") makes the same error as A, plus uses past tense when the sentence indicates future scheduling. Choice D ("have been") also incorrectly treats the subject as plural and uses the wrong tense — "have been scheduled" suggests something that happened in the past and continues, rather than future planning. Remember this pattern: when you see phrases beginning with "along with," "as well as," "together with," or "in addition to," mentally cross them out to find the real subject. The verb should agree only with that main subject, not with any nouns mentioned in these add-on phrases. This is a common trap on the GED that tests whether you can distinguish between the grammatical subject and additional descriptive information.

Question 3

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept where the verb must match the subject in number (singular or plural). When you encounter sentences with inverted word order like this one, you need to identify the true subject first. The sentence uses inverted structure where the verb comes before the subject. To find the subject, rearrange the sentence in standard order: "Several important issues   there to discuss at the meeting." Now you can clearly see that "several important issues" is the subject—a plural noun phrase. Since the subject is plural, you need a plural verb form. Choice B) "are" is correct because it's the plural present tense form of the verb "to be," which agrees with the plural subject "several important issues." Choice A) "is" is wrong because it's the singular form of "to be" and doesn't match the plural subject. Choice C) "was" is incorrect for the same reason—it's singular past tense when you need plural. Additionally, the context suggests ongoing relevance rather than past completion. Choice D) "has been" is also singular (the auxiliary "has" agrees with singular subjects) and creates an awkward construction that doesn't fit the sentence's meaning. When you see sentences beginning with "There," always identify what comes after the verb—that's your true subject. Don't let the inverted word order trick you into choosing the wrong verb form. Mentally rearrange these sentences to standard subject-verb-object order to make agreement clearer.

Question 4

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns, a common challenge on the GED. The key is determining whether the collective noun "orchestra" is acting as a unified group or as individual members. The sentence describes orchestra members "tuning their instruments individually," which signals that the individuals within the group are performing separate actions. When a collective noun emphasizes individual actions rather than group unity, you treat it as plural and use a plural verb. Choice C ("are") is correct because the orchestra members are acting individually, making the subject effectively plural. The word "individually" and the phrase "their instruments" both reinforce that we're focusing on the separate musicians, not the orchestra as a single entity. Choice A ("is") treats "orchestra" as a singular collective noun, which would work if they were acting as one unit (like "The orchestra is performing tonight"), but doesn't fit the individual action described here. Choice B ("was") makes the same singular error while also unnecessarily shifting to past tense when the sentence uses present tense throughout. Choice D ("has been") creates an awkward present perfect construction that doesn't match the simple present tense of "begins" and suggests ongoing action rather than the current preparation described. Watch for clue words like "individually," "separately," or "each" that signal when collective nouns should take plural verbs. Also look for pronouns like "their" that indicate the sentence is treating the group as individuals rather than a unit.

Question 5

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically when the subject appears plural but is grammatically singular. When you encounter sentences with words like "everybody," "everyone," or "nobody," remember that these are indefinite pronouns that always take singular verbs, regardless of how many people they might refer to. The subject "Everybody" is grammatically singular, even though it refers to all the people in three counties. This means you need a singular verb form. Additionally, since we're talking about a power outage that already happened, you need the past tense. "Was" is the singular past tense form of the verb "to be," making it the correct choice. Looking at the incorrect options: (A) "are" is plural present tense, which doesn't match our singular subject or past time frame. (B) "were" is plural past tense - while it correctly indicates past time, it's plural and doesn't agree with the singular "everybody." (C) "have been" is present perfect tense and plural, failing on both grammatical agreement and tense consistency with the past event being described. Remember this pattern: indefinite pronouns like everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, anybody, anyone, nobody, and no one are always singular, even when they refer to groups of people. They require singular verbs. When you see these words as subjects, immediately look for singular verb forms in your answer choices, and eliminate any plural options right away.

Question 6

1. take on (correct answer)
2. takes on
3. is taking on
4. has taken on

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with relative pronouns, which can be tricky because you need to identify what the verb is actually agreeing with. The key is recognizing that "who" refers back to "employees" (plural), not to "one" (singular). When you have a phrase like "one of those [plural noun] who," the verb after "who" must agree with the plural noun. Think of it this way: among all those employees, he is one who always takes on extra work, but there are multiple employees who do this. The correct answer is A) "take on" because "who" refers to "employees" (plural), so you need the plural verb form "take." B) "takes on" is wrong because it's the singular verb form. This is a common trap - students often think the verb should agree with "one," but "who" doesn't refer back to "one." C) "is taking on" is incorrect because it uses the singular helping verb "is" and suggests an ongoing action happening right now, rather than a habitual behavior. D) "has taken on" is wrong for two reasons: it uses the singular helping verb "has," and the present perfect tense doesn't fit the context of describing a general characteristic or habit. Remember this pattern: In "one of those [plural noun] who" constructions, the verb after "who" is always plural. Look for what the relative pronoun actually refers to, not just the nearest noun. This construction appears frequently on standardized tests because it tricks many test-takers.

Question 7

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement in sentences with inverted word order. When a sentence begins with "here" or "there," you need to identify the true subject to choose the correct verb form. In this sentence, the word order is inverted. The normal order would be "The documents you requested and the key to the file cabinet   here." The true subject is "the documents you requested and the key to the file cabinet" — a compound subject joined by "and." Since compound subjects joined by "and" are plural, they require a plural verb. Choice A) "are" is correct because it's the plural present tense form that agrees with the compound subject "documents...and key." Choice B) "is" is wrong because it's singular, but your subject is plural. This is a common trap — students often match the verb to the nearest noun ("key") instead of recognizing the full compound subject. Choice C) "was" is incorrect because it's both singular and past tense. The sentence needs present tense (the documents are being presented now) and plural agreement. Choice D) "has been" fails for the same reasons as B and C — it's singular and creates an awkward, incorrect meaning in this context. Remember this strategy: In sentences beginning with "here" or "there," mentally rearrange the sentence to normal word order to identify the true subject. Don't let inverted structure fool you into choosing the wrong verb form. Always make sure your verb agrees with the complete subject, not just the closest noun.

Question 8

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept you'll see throughout the GED Language Arts exam. The key is identifying the true subject of the sentence and matching it with the correct verb form. The subject of this sentence is "files," which is plural. Even though "server" appears right before the blank, it's part of the prepositional phrase "on the server" that describes where the files are located. Prepositional phrases never contain the subject of a sentence. Since "files" is plural, you need a plural verb form. Answer D) "are" is correct because it's the plural present tense form that agrees with the plural subject "files." The sentence reads: "All of the files on the server are backed up nightly." Answer A) "is" is wrong because it's singular, but our subject "files" is plural. This is a common trap—students often match the verb to the nearest noun (server) rather than the actual subject. Answer B) "was" is incorrect for two reasons: it's singular (doesn't agree with plural "files") and it's past tense, but the sentence describes an ongoing, regular action that happens "nightly." Answer C) "has been" is also wrong because "has" is singular. You'd need "have been" for a plural subject, and even then, the simple present "are" is better for describing routine actions. Remember: always identify the true subject by crossing out prepositional phrases, then match your verb to that subject's number (singular or plural).

Question 9

1. agrees
2. has agreed
3. have agreed (correct answer)
4. is agreeing

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, one of the most important grammar concepts on the GED. When you encounter sentences with subjects and verbs separated by other words, always identify the true subject first before choosing your verb form. The subject of this sentence is "Several local businesses," which is plural. The phrase "local businesses" requires a plural verb form. Since this sentence describes a completed action (the businesses have already agreed to sponsor), you need the present perfect tense with a plural auxiliary verb. Choice C) "have agreed" is correct because "have" is the plural auxiliary verb that agrees with the plural subject "businesses," and "agreed" shows the completed action. Choice A) "agrees" is wrong because this is a singular present tense verb, but your subject "businesses" is plural. Choice B) "has agreed" uses the singular auxiliary verb "has," which doesn't match the plural subject. This is a common trap—students sometimes focus on the word "several" and mistakenly think it requires a singular verb. Choice D) "is agreeing" also uses a singular auxiliary verb "is" and suggests ongoing action rather than completed action, making it incorrect for both grammatical and contextual reasons. Remember this key strategy: Always locate the main subject of the sentence (ignore prepositional phrases and other modifiers), determine if it's singular or plural, then match your verb accordingly. The word "several" always indicates plural, so it will always require plural verbs.

Question 10

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically with collective phrases that can be tricky. When you encounter sentences with phrases like "each of the..." or "one of the..." pay close attention to what the true subject is. The subject of this sentence is "each," not "hires." Even though "new hires" is plural, the word "each" is always singular and requires a singular verb. Think of it this way: you're talking about each individual hire separately, not the group as a whole. Since "each" is singular and the sentence is in present tense (indicating a current policy or requirement), you need the singular present tense verb "is." Choice A) "are" is incorrect because it's a plural verb form that would agree with "hires," but "hires" isn't the subject—"each" is. This is a common trap where students mistakenly match the verb to the nearest noun rather than the actual subject. Choice B) "were" is wrong for two reasons: it's plural (agreeing with "hires" instead of "each") and it's past tense, which doesn't fit the context of stating a current requirement. Choice D) "have been" is also incorrect because "have" is plural. While "have been" could work temporally (showing something that started in the past and continues), the plural form doesn't agree with the singular subject "each." Remember this pattern: "Each of the [plural noun]" always takes a singular verb, regardless of how many items follow "of the." Focus on "each," not what comes after.

Question 11

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept that requires you to match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The key to solving this problem lies in identifying the true subject of the sentence. While "equipment" appears in the prepositional phrase "of the equipment," the actual subject is "some." You need to determine whether "some" is singular or plural, which depends on what it refers to. When "some" refers to a non-count noun (like "equipment"), it takes a singular verb. Since equipment is always treated as a non-count noun in English, "some" functions as singular here. Therefore, you need the singular verb "is," making choice C correct: "Some of the equipment in the science lab is outdated." Choice A ("are") is incorrect because it's a plural verb that doesn't agree with the singular subject "some." Choice B ("were") is wrong because it's both plural and past tense, when the sentence requires present tense to describe the current state of the equipment. Choice D ("have been") fails because "have" is plural, and the sentence structure doesn't call for the present perfect tense. When tackling subject-verb agreement questions, always identify the true subject by crossing out prepositional phrases that might distract you. Remember that "some" can be either singular or plural depending on what follows "of" – if it's a non-count noun like "equipment," treat "some" as singular.

Question 12

1. need
2. are needing
3. have
4. needs (correct answer)

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept that requires matching singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The key to solving this problem is identifying the true subject of the sentence. While "the two required novels" appears near the verb, the actual subject is "the primary textbook" – a singular noun. The phrase "in addition to the two required novels" is a prepositional phrase that adds extra information but doesn't change the subject from singular to plural. Since "textbook" is singular, you need the singular verb form "needs" (D). This creates the correct subject-verb agreement: "The primary textbook...needs to be purchased." Looking at the wrong answers: Choice (A) "need" is the plural verb form, which would be incorrect with the singular subject "textbook." Choice (B) "are needing" uses the progressive tense inappropriately – "need" is a stative verb that doesn't typically take the -ing form, plus "are" is plural. Choice (C) "have" is also a plural verb form that doesn't agree with the singular subject. The trap here is that phrases like "in addition to," "along with," or "as well as" can make you think the subject is plural when it's actually singular. These phrases are just additional information that doesn't affect subject-verb agreement. Remember: Cross out prepositional phrases and extra information to identify the core subject, then match your verb accordingly. The subject closest to the verb isn't always the grammatical subject controlling the agreement.

Question 13

1. One of my siblings are studying to be a doctor.
2. Nobody on the team want to practice in the rain.
3. Something in the pipes are making a strange noise.
4. Neither of the proposed solutions seems adequate. (correct answer)

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically with indefinite pronouns and prepositional phrases. When you encounter sentences with words like "one," "nobody," or "neither," you need to identify the true subject and match it with the correct verb form. The correct answer is D because "neither" is a singular indefinite pronoun that always takes a singular verb. "Neither of the proposed solutions seems adequate" correctly pairs the singular subject "neither" with the singular verb "seems." The prepositional phrase "of the proposed solutions" doesn't affect the verb choice—it's just describing what "neither" refers to. Option A is incorrect because "one" is singular and requires the singular verb "is," not "are." The phrase "of my siblings" is a prepositional phrase that doesn't change the fact that "one" is the subject. Option B fails because "nobody" is always singular and needs the singular verb "wants," not "want." The prepositional phrase "on the team" doesn't affect this rule. Option C makes the same error as A—"something" is singular and requires "is," not "are." The phrase "in the pipes" is describing where the something is located, but it doesn't make the subject plural. Remember this key strategy: Cross out prepositional phrases when checking subject-verb agreement. Indefinite pronouns like "one," "nobody," "something," "neither," "either," and "each" are almost always singular, regardless of what follows them in a prepositional phrase. This will help you avoid the most common trap on these questions.

Question 14

1. requires
2. have required
3. is requiring
4. require (correct answer)

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, which requires you to identify the true subject of the sentence and match it with the correct verb form. The key is recognizing that "The planning and execution of the event" is a compound subject joined by "and." When two nouns are connected by "and," they create a plural subject that requires a plural verb. Here, both "planning" and "execution" are working together as the subject, making it plural. Choice D) "require" is correct because it's the plural form of the verb that properly agrees with the compound subject "planning and execution." Choice A) "requires" is wrong because it's the singular form of the verb. This is a common trap—students often focus on "event" (which is singular) instead of identifying the true subject of the sentence. Choice B) "have required" is incorrect because while "have" is plural, this creates the present perfect tense, which isn't needed here. The sentence describes a general truth about what planning and execution do, not an action completed in the past. Choice C) "is requiring" is wrong for two reasons: "is" is singular (should be plural), and the present progressive tense isn't appropriate for describing a general characteristic or requirement. When tackling subject-verb agreement questions, always locate the complete subject first—ignore prepositional phrases like "of the event" that come between the subject and verb. Remember that compound subjects joined by "and" are almost always plural, even when individual parts might be singular.

Question 15

1. hopes
2. is hoping
3. hope (correct answer)
4. has hoped

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with compound subjects. When you see two subjects connected by "and," you need to determine whether the verb should be singular or plural. The compound subject "The chef and the owner" refers to two separate people working together. When two distinct subjects are joined by "and," they form a plural subject that requires a plural verb form. Think of it as "they" - both the chef and the owner together hope to create a welcoming atmosphere. Choice C "hope" is correct because it's the plural verb form that agrees with the compound subject "The chef and the owner." Choice A "hopes" is incorrect because it's a singular verb form (third person singular), but our compound subject is plural. You might be tempted by this if you focused only on "owner" (the closest noun to the verb) rather than recognizing the full compound subject. Choice B "is hoping" is wrong because "is" is a singular helping verb. This creates the same agreement error as choice A - you're treating a plural subject as if it were singular. Choice D "has hoped" uses the singular helping verb "has," creating another subject-verb agreement error. Even though this is present perfect tense, it still needs to agree with the plural subject (which would require "have hoped"). Remember this pattern: compound subjects joined by "and" are nearly always plural and need plural verbs. Don't let the singular noun closest to the verb trick you - look at the complete subject structure.

Question 16

1. make
2. makes (correct answer)
3. are making
4. have made

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with compound subjects joined by "or" or "nor." When you encounter these constructions, the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. In "Either the regional managers or the vice president   the final decision," you have two potential subjects: "regional managers" (plural) and "vice president" (singular). Since "vice president" comes directly before the blank, the verb must agree with this singular subject, making "makes" the correct choice. Choice A ("make") is incorrect because it's the plural form that would agree with "regional managers," but you must follow the proximity rule and match the nearest subject. Choice C ("are making") makes the same error as A—it's plural and also introduces progressive tense, which isn't needed here since we're talking about a general responsibility rather than an ongoing action. Choice D ("have made") is also plural and shifts to present perfect tense, suggesting completed action rather than the ongoing responsibility described in the sentence. The correct answer is B because "makes" properly agrees with the singular "vice president" and maintains the simple present tense appropriate for describing general duties or responsibilities. Remember this rule: with "either...or" and "neither...nor" constructions, always make the verb agree with the subject closest to it. This proximity rule overrides the usual logic you might apply to compound subjects joined by "and," which would take plural verbs.

Question 17

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

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically with collective nouns that can be tricky to identify. When you encounter sentences where the subject and verb seem mismatched, look carefully at what the true subject is and whether it's singular or plural. The subject of this sentence is "news," not "conference." Although "news" might seem plural because it ends in 's', it's actually a singular noun that always takes singular verbs. Think of other similar words like "mathematics" or "physics" - they end in 's' but are singular concepts. Since "news" is singular, you need the singular past tense verb "was." Let's examine why the other options don't work: Choice (A) "were" is the plural past tense form, which doesn't agree with the singular subject "news." Choice (B) "are" is plural present tense, creating the same agreement problem plus an incorrect tense since we're discussing news from a conference that already happened. Choice (D) "have been" is also plural (the singular would be "has been") and creates an awkward construction that doesn't fit the sentence's meaning. The phrase "from the international conference" is just a prepositional phrase describing which news we're talking about - it doesn't affect the verb agreement. Study tip: When checking subject-verb agreement, mentally cross out prepositional phrases between the subject and verb. This helps you focus on the true subject. Also, remember that "news" is always singular, despite its appearance.

Question 18

1. Either the printers or the main computer need to be repaired.
2. Neither the supervisor nor the employees know the new password. (correct answer)
3. Do the server or the cooks know about the large party arriving soon?
4. Neither the captain nor the players was happy with the referee's call.

Explanation: When you encounter subject-verb agreement questions with compound subjects joined by "either...or" or "neither...nor," the verb must agree with the subject closest to it. This rule often trips up test-takers who try to make the verb agree with both subjects. Let's examine why option B is correct: "Neither the supervisor nor the employees know the new password." The subjects are "supervisor" (singular) and "employees" (plural), connected by "neither...nor." Since "employees" is closest to the verb, we use the plural verb "know." This follows the proximity rule perfectly. Now for the incorrect choices: Option A uses "need" (plural) but should use "needs" (singular) because "computer" is the closer subject to the verb. Option C incorrectly uses "Do" (plural) when it should be "Does" (singular) since "cooks" is closer, but the sentence structure is awkward—it should read "Do the server or the cooks know..." Option D uses "was" (singular) but should use "were" (plural) because "players" is the subject closest to the verb. The key strategy here is to always identify which subject is closest to the verb in "either...or" and "neither...nor" constructions. Ignore the first subject completely when determining verb agreement. Also, watch out for questions that place the further subject in a more prominent position—this is designed to confuse you. Focus on proximity, not which subject seems more important in the sentence.

Question 19

1. plans
2. plan (correct answer)
3. has planned
4. is planning

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept where the verb must match the subject in number (singular or plural). When you encounter agreement questions, always identify the true subject first—it's not always the word closest to the verb. The subject here is "Several of the original committee members." While "committee" is singular, the key word is "several," which is always plural and refers to multiple people. The prepositional phrase "of the original committee members" describes who these several people are, but "several" remains your subject. Since "several" is plural, you need a plural verb. Option B) "plan" is correct because it's the plural form that agrees with "several." Option A) "plans" is wrong because it's singular (third-person singular with the -s ending). This choice might tempt you if you mistakenly think "committee" is the subject, but even then, "several" makes it plural. Option C) "has planned" is incorrect because "has" is singular. The plural form would be "have planned," but even that's unnecessary here since the sentence works fine with simple present tense. Option D) "is planning" fails because "is" is singular. Again, the plural equivalent "are planning" would agree with the subject, but simple present tense is more natural in this context. Remember this key strategy: In subject-verb agreement questions, ignore prepositional phrases and focus on the main subject. Words like "several," "many," "few," and "both" are always plural, regardless of what follows them.

Question 20

1. Both of the cars needs new tires before the long trip.
2. Few of the old traditions remains in the modern era.
3. Several chapters of the book are dedicated to historical context. (correct answer)
4. Many of the city's problems stems from poor infrastructure.

Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically with indefinite pronouns and prepositional phrases. When you encounter sentences with phrases like "of the..." between the subject and verb, you need to identify the true subject to choose the correct verb form. The correct answer is C because "several chapters" is a plural subject that correctly pairs with the plural verb "are." The phrase "of the book" is a prepositional phrase that doesn't affect the subject-verb agreement. "Several" is an indefinite pronoun that always takes plural verbs, and "chapters" confirms the plural nature. Choice A is incorrect because "both" is always plural and requires the plural verb "need," not the singular "needs." The phrase "of the cars" doesn't change that "both" is the subject. Choice B fails because "few" is always plural and should pair with "remain," not the singular "remains." Again, "of the old traditions" is just a prepositional phrase modifying "few." Choice D makes the same error as A and B—"many" is always plural and requires "stem," not the singular "stems." Remember this key strategy: when you see indefinite pronouns like "both," "few," "several," "many," "all," or "some," first determine whether they're singular or plural, then ignore any prepositional phrases between the subject and verb. Words like "both," "few," "several," and "many" are always plural, while "each," "every," and "either" are always singular.