EXERCISE 21–5Subject-verb agreement
Select the correct verb in each sentence. Click Save to save your work and return to it. Click Submit to see your score and item-by-item explanations; your activity will be recorded in your instructor's gradebook.
1 of 10
From one of Aesop’s lesser-known fables (comes / come) the question “Who’s going to bell the cat?”
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2 of 10
The fable “Belling the Cat” (describes / describe) the long battle between mice and cats.
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3 of 10
In the story, a committee of mice (is / are) appointed to find a way to stop the cat from killing so many mice.
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4 of 10
Everyone on the committee (tries / try) to solve the problem.
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5 of 10
There (is / are) many committee meetings and much discussion.
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6 of 10
In the end, neither the committee nor its chairperson (is / are) able to make any good suggestions. Finally, the time comes for the committee to make its report at a public meeting. Embarrassed, the committee reports its failure.
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7 of 10
At first, there is only silence; no one wants to accept the committee’s report as the final word on the problem. Then a little pipsqueak among the mice (suggests / suggest) tying a bell on the cat.
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8 of 10
The young mouse makes quite a speech in favor of his idea. According to that mouse, statistics (shows / show) that no mice have ever been captured by a noisy cat.
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9 of 10
The mouse points out that his solution would not cost much; a bell and a string (is / are) all the equipment needed to give the mice warning of the cat’s approach.
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10 of 10
The mouse who makes the suggestion gets a round of applause. The committee members, who (wishes / wish) that they had thought of the idea, are silent. Then a wise old mouse asks, “Who will bell the cat?” The experienced mice and the young pipsqueak are silent. It is easy to make suggestions that others have to carry out.
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