EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 1 of 10: From one of Aesop’s lesser-known fables (comes / come) the question “Who’s going to bell the cat?”

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 2 of 10: The fable “Belling the Cat” (describes / describe) the long battle between mice and cats.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 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.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 4 of 10: Everyone on the committee (tries / try) to solve the problem.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 5 of 10: There (is / are) many committee meetings and much discussion.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 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.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 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.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 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.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 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.

EXERCISE 21–5 Subject-verb agreement - 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.