Health Education Systems Inc (HESI) A2 Exam Quiz: Subject Verb Agreement Errors
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Subject Verb Agreement ErrorsQuestion 1 of 20

Most of the anesthetic   worn off by the time the patient was moved to the recovery room.

has
have
were
are
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Health Education Systems Inc (HESI) A2 Exam Quiz

Health Education Systems Inc (HESI) A2 Exam Quiz: Subject Verb Agreement Errors

Practice Subject Verb Agreement Errors in Health Education Systems Inc (HESI) A2 Exam with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Subject Verb Agreement Errors, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Health Education Systems Inc (HESI) A2 Exam.

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.

All questions

Question 1

Most of the anesthetic   worn off by the time the patient was moved to the recovery room.

  1. has (correct answer)
  2. have
  3. were
  4. are
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns, a grammar concept that frequently appears on nursing entrance exams. The key is identifying what the subject is and whether it should be treated as singular or plural. The subject of this sentence is "most of the anesthetic." While "anesthetic" can sometimes be countable (referring to different types of anesthetic drugs), in medical contexts it's typically treated as an uncountable noun referring to the anesthetic effect or substance as a whole. Since we're talking about the anesthetic effect wearing off from one patient, "anesthetic" functions as a singular, uncountable noun here. With singular subjects, you need a singular verb. Choice A) "has" is the correct singular present perfect form that agrees with the singular subject "most of the anesthetic." Choice B) "have" is incorrect because it's the plural form of the present perfect tense, which doesn't agree with the singular subject. Choice C) "were" is wrong because it's past tense plural, and the sentence requires present perfect tense to show an action that started in the past and continues to the present moment. Choice D) "are" is incorrect because it's present tense plural, and again, the context requires present perfect tense to indicate the ongoing result of a past action. For HESI grammar questions, always identify the true subject first, determine if it's singular or plural, then match it with the appropriate verb form. Pay special attention to collective nouns and phrases beginning with "most of" or "some of" - they often create agreement challenges.

Question 2

The presence of elevated white blood cells in the patient's lab results   an infection.

  1. imply
  2. are implying
  3. implies (correct answer)
  4. have implied
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept that appears frequently on the HESI exam. When you encounter sentences with complex subjects, focus on identifying the true subject that the verb must agree with. The subject of this sentence is "the presence," which is singular. Even though "elevated white blood cells" appears right before the blank, this phrase is part of a prepositional phrase ("of elevated white blood cells") that modifies "presence." Prepositional phrases never contain the subject of a sentence. Since "presence" is singular, you need a singular verb form. Option C) "implies" is correct because it's the singular present tense form that agrees with the singular subject "presence." Option A) "imply" is wrong because it's the plural form of the verb, which would be used with plural subjects like "results" or "cells," not with the singular "presence." Option B) "are implying" is incorrect because "are" is a plural auxiliary verb. This creates a subject-verb disagreement since "presence" is singular and would require "is implying" if you were using present progressive tense. Option D) "have implied" fails for the same reason as option B—"have" is the plural auxiliary verb. A singular subject would require "has implied" for present perfect tense. When tackling subject-verb agreement questions on the HESI, always locate the main subject by eliminating prepositional phrases and other modifiers. The verb must agree with that core subject, regardless of other nouns that appear closer to the verb.

Question 3

The medical student is one of those diligent learners who   every opportunity to observe and practice clinical skills.

  1. seeks
  2. seek (correct answer)
  3. is seeking
  4. was seeking
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of subject-verb agreement with relative pronouns, a common grammar concept on the HESI exam. When you encounter sentences with relative clauses (clauses beginning with "who," "that," or "which"), you need to identify what the verb should agree with. The key is recognizing that "who" refers back to "those diligent learners," not "one." The phrase "one of those diligent learners who" creates a relative clause where "who" modifies the plural noun "learners." Since "learners" is plural, the verb must be plural as well. Therefore, "seek" (B) is correct because it agrees with the plural antecedent "learners." Option A ("seeks") is incorrect because it treats "who" as if it refers to "one," making the verb singular. This is a common mistake, but "who" grammatically refers to "learners," not "one." Option C ("is seeking") is wrong for the same reason—it's singular and doesn't match the plural antecedent. Option D ("was seeking") creates both a subject-verb disagreement and an inappropriate tense shift, since the sentence describes a general characteristic rather than a past action. When you see "one of those [plural noun] who" constructions on the HESI, remember that the verb after "who" should always be plural because it agrees with the plural noun, not with "one." This pattern appears frequently in grammar sections, so practicing this specific construction will help you avoid this common trap.

Question 4

Which sentence demonstrates the correct subject-verb agreement?

  1. The committee on infectious diseases meet weekly to review new data.
  2. Mumps, despite its plural-sounding name, are a viral infection.
  3. The patient's family, who were waiting anxiously, were updated by the doctor.
  4. A set of sterile instruments was placed on the surgical tray. (correct answer)
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement questions test whether you can identify when singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs. The key is correctly identifying the true subject of each sentence, which isn't always obvious when phrases come between the subject and verb. Option D demonstrates correct agreement because "a set" is the singular subject, requiring the singular verb "was." Even though "instruments" appears closer to the verb, it's part of the prepositional phrase "of sterile instruments," which doesn't affect the verb form. The singular subject "set" correctly pairs with "was." Option A is incorrect because "committee" is a collective noun treated as singular in American English, so it should be "meets," not "meet." The phrase "on infectious diseases" is just a descriptor that doesn't change the subject's number. Option B contains a double error. "Mumps" is singular despite ending in 's' (like "measles" or "physics"), so it requires singular verbs. The sentence incorrectly uses "are" instead of "is." Option C has inconsistent agreement. "Family" is singular, so the first part should read "who was waiting anxiously, was updated." While families contain multiple people, the word "family" itself is grammatically singular. Watch for prepositional phrases and descriptive clauses that separate subjects from verbs—these are common distractors. Focus on the core subject, ignore the intervening words, and match singular subjects with singular verbs. Collective nouns and words ending in 's' that are actually singular frequently appear on the HESI.

Question 5

Administering IV fluids and monitoring the patient's electrolyte balance   critical tasks for the nurse.

  1. is
  2. was
  3. has been
  4. are (correct answer)
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of subject-verb agreement with compound subjects. When you encounter sentences with multiple subjects connected by "and," you need to identify whether they form a compound subject that requires a plural verb. The sentence contains a compound subject: "Administering IV fluids" and "monitoring the patient's electrolyte balance." These are two separate gerund phrases (verb forms acting as nouns) joined by "and." When two or more subjects are connected by "and," they create a compound subject that requires a plural verb form. Therefore, "are" is correct because it agrees with the plural compound subject. Let's examine why the other options are incorrect: Option A ("is") is wrong because it's a singular verb form that doesn't agree with the compound subject. This is a common error when students focus only on the subject closest to the verb rather than recognizing the compound structure. Option B ("was") is incorrect because it's both singular and past tense. The sentence describes ongoing nursing responsibilities, not completed past actions, and the singular form doesn't match the compound subject. Option C ("has been") is wrong because it's singular and uses present perfect tense inappropriately. While present perfect can describe ongoing situations, the singular "has" doesn't agree with the compound subject. Remember this pattern: compound subjects joined by "and" nearly always take plural verbs, regardless of whether the individual subjects are singular. When you see multiple actions or responsibilities listed together with "and," look for plural verb forms in the answer choices.

Question 6

Not only the students but also the supervising instructor   confused by the patient's anomalous test results.

  1. was (correct answer)
  2. were
  3. are
  4. have been
Explanation: When you encounter compound subjects connected by "not only...but also," the key is identifying which part of the subject determines verb agreement. In English, when subjects are joined by correlative conjunctions like "not only...but also," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In this sentence, "Not only the students but also the supervising instructor" forms the complete subject. Since "the supervising instructor" (singular) comes after "but also," the verb must agree with this singular noun. Therefore, "was" is correct because it's the singular past tense form that matches "instructor." Let's examine why each option works or doesn't: Option A) "was" correctly agrees with the singular "supervising instructor" that follows "but also." Option B) "were" is incorrect because it's the plural past tense form, which would agree with "students" instead of the closer subject "instructor." Option C) "are" fails for two reasons: it's plural (disagreeing with "instructor") and uses present tense when the context suggests past tense. Option D) "have been" is wrong because "have" is plural, and the perfect tense doesn't fit the sentence's simple past context. For HESI grammar questions, remember the proximity rule: when compound subjects use "not only...but also," "either...or," or "neither...nor," the verb always agrees with the subject closest to it. This rule overrides the general principle that compound subjects take plural verbs. Practice identifying which subject comes last in these constructions.

Question 7

Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

  1. The data from the ongoing study suggests a new approach to treatment.
  2. The criteria for patient selection is very strict for this clinical trial.
  3. The phenomena observed in the lab were completely unexpected. (correct answer)
  4. The stimuli used in the neurological test varies from patient to patient.
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement questions test your ability to match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The challenge often lies in recognizing whether certain nouns are singular or plural, especially with Latin-derived scientific and medical terms. Choice C is correct because "phenomena" is the plural form of "phenomenon," so it correctly pairs with the plural verb "were." The sentence properly matches a plural subject with a plural verb form. Choice A incorrectly treats "data" as singular. While "data" is sometimes used as a singular mass noun in casual speech, in formal academic and scientific writing (especially on standardized exams), "data" is the plural of "datum" and should take a plural verb. It should read "The data...suggest" rather than "suggests." Choice B makes the same error with "criteria," which is the plural form of "criterion." The sentence incorrectly uses the singular verb "is" when it should use "are" to match the plural subject "criteria." Choice D incorrectly pairs "stimuli" (plural of "stimulus") with the singular verb "varies." Since "stimuli" is plural, the verb should be "vary" to maintain proper agreement. Study tip: Memorize these common Latin plural forms that frequently appear in medical contexts: data/datum, criteria/criterion, phenomena/phenomenon, stimuli/stimulus, bacteria/bacterium. On the HESI, these words are treated as formal plurals requiring plural verbs, even if you might hear them used differently in everyday conversation.

Question 8

In the sentence 'The committee of nurses, along with the attending physician, have reviewed the patient care protocols,' which revision correctly addresses the subject-verb agreement error?

  1. The committee of nurses, along with the attending physician, has reviewed the patient care protocols. (correct answer)
  2. The committee of nurses, along with the attending physician, were reviewing the patient care protocols.
  3. The committees of nurses, along with the attending physician, have reviewed the patient care protocols.
  4. The committee of nurses, along with the attending physicians, have reviewed the patient care protocols.
Explanation: The subject 'committee' is singular, so the verb should be 'has,' not 'have.' The phrase 'along with the attending physician' is a prepositional phrase that doesn't affect the subject-verb agreement. Choice B uses 'were,' which is still incorrect for the singular subject. Choice C changes the subject to plural but maintains an awkward construction. Choice D makes 'physicians' plural but doesn't fix the main agreement error.

Question 9

In the sentence 'Not only the attending physician but also the residents was consulted about the treatment plan,' what correction is needed?

  1. Change 'was consulted' to 'were consulted' because the subject closest to the verb is plural. (correct answer)
  2. Change 'was consulted' to 'have been consulted' to show completed action with multiple subjects.
  3. Change the structure to 'Both the attending physician and the residents' for clarity.
  4. Change 'residents' to 'resident' to maintain singular agreement throughout the sentence.
Explanation: With 'not only...but also' constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since 'residents' is plural and closest to the verb, it should be 'were consulted.' Choice B changes tense unnecessarily and doesn't address the agreement issue. Choice C suggests a structural change that's not required. Choice D changes the meaning by making 'resident' singular when multiple residents may have been involved.

Question 10

Identify the sentence where the subject-verb agreement error occurs due to confusion between the grammatical subject and the logical subject.

  1. The source of the contamination issues appears to be linked to improper sterilization procedures.
  2. The cause of these recurring infections remain unclear despite extensive testing. (correct answer)
  3. The basis for these treatment recommendations seem questionable given the limited research available.
  4. The focus of the quality improvement initiatives involve reducing patient wait times significantly.
Explanation: When you encounter subject-verb agreement questions, pay close attention to distinguishing between the grammatical subject (what the sentence is actually about) and words that might logically seem important but aren't controlling the verb agreement. In each of these sentences, the true grammatical subject is a singular noun that requires a singular verb. Let's examine option B: "The cause of these recurring infections remain unclear." Here, "cause" is the grammatical subject—it's what the sentence is about. The phrase "of these recurring infections" is a prepositional phrase that describes which cause, but "infections" doesn't control verb agreement. Since "cause" is singular, it requires the singular verb "remains," not the plural "remain." Option A correctly uses "appears" with the singular subject "source." Option C incorrectly uses "seem" instead of "seems" with "basis," creating the same error as B. Option D incorrectly uses "involve" instead of "involves" with "focus." The trap in options B, C, and D is that the plural nouns in the prepositional phrases ("infections," implied plural concepts, "times") feel logically important and can mislead you into choosing plural verbs. However, these nouns are objects of prepositions and never determine verb agreement. Study tip: When checking subject-verb agreement, mentally cross out prepositional phrases (of, for, in, with, etc.) to isolate the true subject. The word immediately following the preposition is never the grammatical subject controlling the main verb.

Question 11

Identify the sentence that has an error in subject-verb agreement.

  1. Either the physician's assistant or the nurse practitioner sees patients for follow-up appointments.
  2. The number of patients admitted for respiratory infections has increased this month.
  3. A number of new regulations regarding patient privacy has been issued by the board. (correct answer)
  4. Every medication cart, supply closet, and patient room needs to be inventoried.
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement questions test your ability to match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The key is identifying the true subject of each sentence, which can be tricky when prepositional phrases or certain expressions create confusion. In option C, the phrase "A number of new regulations" uses "A number of" as the subject. While this might seem singular because of the word "a," the expression "a number of" actually takes a plural verb because it means "several" or "many." The sentence should read "A number of new regulations regarding patient privacy have been issued by the board." The singular verb "has" creates the agreement error. Option A is correct because with "either...or" constructions, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since "nurse practitioner" (singular) is closest to the verb, "sees" is appropriately singular. Option B correctly uses "has" because "the number" (unlike "a number") always takes a singular verb, even when followed by a plural noun in a prepositional phrase. Option D properly uses the singular "needs" because when subjects are joined by commas in a series, they're treated as individual items requiring a singular verb. Remember that "the number of" is always singular, while "a number of" is always plural. This distinction appears frequently on standardized tests, so memorize this pattern: "The number is/has" versus "A number are/have."

Question 12

Neither the lab results nor the preliminary diagnosis   a clear cause for the patient's symptoms.

  1. indicate
  2. indicates (correct answer)
  3. are indicating
  4. have indicated
Explanation: When you encounter subject-verb agreement questions with compound subjects joined by "neither...nor," focus on the noun closest to the verb to determine whether the verb should be singular or plural. In this sentence, the compound subject is "neither the lab results nor the preliminary diagnosis." With "neither...nor" constructions, the verb must agree with the subject that appears closest to it. Here, "the preliminary diagnosis" (singular) is positioned right before the verb, so you need a singular verb form. The correct answer is B) "indicates" because it's the singular present tense form that agrees with the singular noun "diagnosis." The sentence reads: "Neither the lab results nor the preliminary diagnosis indicates a clear cause for the patient's symptoms." Let's examine why the other options are incorrect. A) "indicate" is the plural form, which would be wrong because you're matching the verb to "diagnosis," not "results." C) "are indicating" uses the plural helping verb "are" and creates an awkward progressive tense that doesn't fit the context. D) "have indicated" also uses a plural helping verb "have" and shifts to present perfect tense unnecessarily. Remember this rule for the HESI: with "neither...nor" and "either...or" constructions, always make the verb agree with the closest subject. If the sentence were flipped to read "neither the preliminary diagnosis nor the lab results," you would use the plural verb "indicate" because "results" would be closest to the verb.

Question 13

Everyone in the physical therapy group   making progress at their own pace.

  1. are
  2. is (correct answer)
  3. were
  4. have been
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with indefinite pronouns, a concept that frequently appears on standardized exams. The key is identifying what the subject actually is and whether it's singular or plural. The subject of this sentence is "Everyone," which is an indefinite pronoun that always takes a singular verb, even though it refers to multiple people. Think of "everyone" as meaning "every single person" – each individual person is making progress. This singular subject requires the singular verb "is." Choice B is correct because "is" agrees with the singular subject "everyone." The phrase "in the physical therapy group" is a prepositional phrase that describes everyone but doesn't change the fact that "everyone" is singular. Choice A ("are") is incorrect because it's a plural verb form that doesn't agree with the singular subject "everyone." This is a common trap – students often choose "are" because they're thinking about the multiple people in the group rather than focusing on the actual subject. Choice C ("were") is wrong because it's both plural and past tense, while the sentence needs a singular, present tense verb to match "everyone" and the present context. Choice D ("have been") is incorrect because "have" is plural. The singular form would be "has been," but even that changes the meaning unnecessarily since simple present tense works best here. Remember: indefinite pronouns like "everyone," "someone," "anyone," and "no one" are always singular, regardless of how many people they might represent. Focus on the pronoun itself, not the group it describes.

Question 14

Here   the chart and the lab reports you requested for the patient in room 3B.

  1. is
  2. are (correct answer)
  3. was
  4. will be
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement with compound subjects joined by "and." When you encounter sentences with multiple subjects, you need to identify whether the verb should be singular or plural based on how the subjects relate to each other. The sentence has a compound subject: "the chart and the lab reports." When two or more subjects are connected by "and," they form a plural subject that requires a plural verb. Even though "chart" is singular, the combination of "chart" and "reports" creates a plural subject requiring the plural verb "are." Choice B ("are") is correct because it's the plural present tense verb that agrees with the compound subject "the chart and the lab reports." Choice A ("is") is incorrect because it's a singular verb, which doesn't agree with the compound plural subject. This is a common trap - students might focus only on the first part of the compound subject ("chart") and choose the singular verb. Choice C ("was") is wrong because it's both singular and past tense. The context suggests present tense (someone is currently presenting these items), and as established, you need a plural verb anyway. Choice D ("will be") is incorrect because it indicates future tense, but the speaker is presenting the materials right now, not promising to deliver them later. Remember this pattern: when subjects are joined by "and," treat them as plural and use plural verbs. Watch for this construction on grammar questions - it's a frequent test point because the singular/plural distinction can be tricky with compound subjects.

Question 15

The collection of tissue samples from various organ systems   sent to the pathology lab for analysis.

  1. were
  2. are
  3. was (correct answer)
  4. have been
Explanation: When you encounter subject-verb agreement questions, you need to identify the true subject of the sentence and match the verb to that subject's number and tense requirements. In this sentence, the subject is "collection" — a singular noun that refers to one grouped set of tissue samples. Even though "samples" and "organ systems" are plural words that appear closer to the verb, they function as objects within prepositional phrases ("of tissue samples" and "from various organ systems"). Prepositional phrases never contain the subject of a sentence. Since "collection" is singular and the context suggests a completed action being reported, the correct verb form is "was" (C). Choice A ("were") incorrectly treats the subject as plural, likely confused by the nearby plural nouns. Choice B ("are") uses present tense, which doesn't fit the context of samples that have already been collected and sent. Choice D ("have been") also treats the subject as plural and uses present perfect tense inappropriately for this straightforward past action. The sentence describes a completed action: tissue samples were collected and sent to the lab at a specific point in the past, making simple past tense ("was") the most appropriate choice. For HESI grammar questions, always locate the true subject by eliminating prepositional phrases first. Look for words like "of," "from," "in," "with," and "during" that introduce these phrases. The subject will be outside these phrases, and collective nouns like "collection," "group," or "set" are typically singular even when they refer to multiple items.

Question 16

Which of the following sentences contains correct subject-verb agreement?

  1. The team of surgeons, exhausted from the long procedure, were ready for a break.
  2. Each of the patient's vital signs are monitored hourly by the nursing staff.
  3. The list of potential side effects for the new medication is quite extensive. (correct answer)
  4. Neither the head nurse nor the charge nurses is available to consult on the case.
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement questions test your ability to match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The challenge lies in identifying the true subject, especially when prepositional phrases or other elements create distance between the subject and verb. Let's examine why option C is correct: "The list of potential side effects for the new medication is quite extensive." The subject here is "list," which is singular, so it correctly pairs with the singular verb "is." The prepositional phrase "of potential side effects" doesn't change the fact that "list" is the subject. Now for the incorrect options: Option A uses "team," a collective noun that's typically singular in American English, but pairs it with the plural verb "were." The correct verb should be "was." Option B has "Each" as the subject, which is always singular, but incorrectly uses the plural verb "are." It should be "is." Option D presents a "neither...nor" construction where the verb should agree with the subject closest to it ("charge nurses," which is plural), but uses the singular "is" instead of "are." When tackling subject-verb agreement on the HESI, remember to locate the true subject by crossing out prepositional phrases and other modifiers. Pay special attention to indefinite pronouns like "each," "neither," and "every" (usually singular) and collective nouns like "team" and "staff" (typically singular in American English).

Question 17

The news about the clinical trial's success   spreading rapidly among the medical community.

  1. are
  2. were
  3. is (correct answer)
  4. have been
Explanation: When you encounter subject-verb agreement questions, you need to identify the true subject of the sentence and determine whether it's singular or plural. This becomes tricky when the subject is separated from the verb by prepositional phrases or other modifying elements. In this sentence, the subject is "news," which appears before the prepositional phrase "about the clinical trial's success." The word "news" is always treated as singular in English, even though it ends in 's' and might seem plural. Think of other similar words like "mathematics," "physics," or "politics" - they follow the same pattern. Since "news" is singular, it requires the singular verb form "is." Looking at the wrong answers: (A) "are" is incorrect because it's the plural form of the verb "to be," but our subject "news" is singular. (B) "were" is wrong because it's both plural and past tense, while we need present tense to match "spreading." (D) "have been" is incorrect because "have" is the plural auxiliary verb form, and again, our subject is singular. The correct structure is: "The news... is spreading rapidly." Study tip: When checking subject-verb agreement, mentally cross out prepositional phrases and other modifiers to isolate the core subject. Also, memorize that certain words ending in 's' are actually singular: news, mathematics, economics, athletics, and measles. These commonly appear on standardized tests because they can trick students into choosing plural verbs.

Question 18

Two-thirds of the hospital's nursing staff   to participate in the upcoming skills workshop.

  1. plans
  2. plan (correct answer)
  3. is planning
  4. has planned
Explanation: When you encounter subject-verb agreement questions on the HESI, focus on identifying the true subject of the sentence, not just the noun closest to the verb. This type of question tests whether you can navigate prepositional phrases and fractional expressions that can obscure the actual subject. In this sentence, the subject is "two-thirds," which refers to a portion of the nursing staff. When fractions like "two-thirds," "half," or "most" refer to people or countable items, they take plural verbs because you're talking about multiple individuals within that group. Since two-thirds of the staff represents multiple nurses, the verb must be plural. Answer B) "plan" is correct because it's the plural form that agrees with this plural subject. Let's examine why the other options fail: A) "plans" is singular, which would only work if the subject were singular (like "the director plans"). C) "is planning" uses the singular helping verb "is," making it grammatically incorrect with the plural subject "two-thirds." D) "has planned" also uses a singular helping verb "has," creating the same agreement error. The key trap here is that "staff" is singular, but it's not the actual subject—it's part of the prepositional phrase "of the hospital's nursing staff." The fraction "two-thirds" is what's doing the action. For HESI success, remember this pattern: when fractions or percentages refer to countable people or things, treat them as plural subjects requiring plural verbs. Cross out prepositional phrases to isolate the true subject.

Question 19

There   several discrepancies between the patient's self-reported history and the official medical record.

  1. was
  2. is
  3. appears to be
  4. are (correct answer)
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement questions test your ability to match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The key is identifying the true subject of the sentence, which isn't always the noun closest to the verb. In this sentence, the subject is "several discrepancies," which is plural. The word "several" is a plural determiner, and "discrepancies" is a plural noun. Since you have a plural subject, you need a plural verb to match. Answer D) "are" is correct because it's the plural form of the verb "to be" that agrees with the plural subject "several discrepancies." Answer A) "was" is wrong because it's the singular past tense form of "to be." The subject is plural, so this creates a subject-verb disagreement. Answer B) "is" is incorrect because it's the singular present tense form of "to be." Again, this doesn't match the plural subject. Answer C) "appears to be" is wrong because "appears" is a singular verb form. While this might sound acceptable in casual speech, it's grammatically incorrect since "several discrepancies" cannot "appear" - multiple things "appear," but the singular "appears" doesn't agree with the plural subject. Remember to always identify the complete subject before choosing your verb. Don't be distracted by prepositional phrases or other words between the subject and verb. Count whether your subject is singular or plural, then match it with the appropriate verb form. This pattern appears frequently on grammar sections of standardized exams.

Question 20

The primary concern of the attending physicians   the patient's fluctuating blood pressure levels.

  1. are
  2. were
  3. is (correct answer)
  4. have been
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept that frequently appears on the HESI exam. When you encounter sentences with complex subjects, you need to identify the true subject and match it with the correct verb form. The subject of this sentence is "the primary concern," which is singular. Don't be confused by the prepositional phrase "of the attending physicians" that follows—this phrase describes whose concern it is, but it doesn't change the fact that "concern" is the main subject. Since we're talking about one concern (even though it belongs to multiple physicians), we need a singular verb form. The correct answer is C) "is" because it's the singular present tense form that agrees with the singular subject "concern." The sentence describes a current situation, so present tense is appropriate. Let's examine why the other options are incorrect. Option A) "are" is the plural present tense form, which doesn't match our singular subject "concern." Option B) "were" is the plural past tense form, creating both a number disagreement and an inappropriate tense shift since there's no indication this is a past situation. Option D) "have been" is also plural and creates an unnecessarily complex perfect tense that doesn't fit the context. For HESI grammar questions, always identify the true subject by mentally crossing out prepositional phrases and other modifiers. The core subject-verb relationship will become clearer, helping you avoid common traps where intervening phrases make plural nouns seem like the subject when they're actually just descriptive elements.