GED Language Arts Rla Quiz: Correct Agreement Errors
20 questions · exam conditions
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Correct Agreement ErrorsQuestion 1 of 20

In the drawer   a notebook and two pens right now.

is
are
was
were
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GED Language Arts Rla Quiz

GED Language Arts Rla Quiz: Correct Agreement Errors

Practice Correct Agreement Errors in GED Language Arts Rla 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 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.

All questions

Question 1

In the drawer   a notebook and two pens right now.

  1. is
  2. are (correct answer)
  3. was
  4. were
Explanation: The subject is the compound noun phrase "a notebook and two pens," which is plural, so the present-tense verb must be "are." The word "right now" also confirms present tense. The most tempting wrong choice is "is," because it is near "a notebook," but the subject is the whole compound, not just the nearest noun.

Question 2

The news about the election results   currently delayed until the next day.

  1. was
  2. are
  3. is (correct answer)
  4. were
Explanation: The subject is "news," which is singular even though it ends in s, and the prepositional phrase "about the election results" does not change that. Since "currently" signals the present tense, the singular verb "is" fits: the news is delayed. The most tempting wrong answer is "are," chosen because "results" is plural, but the subject is "news," not "results."

Question 3

Neither the employees nor the manager   satisfied with the new policy now.

  1. is (correct answer)
  2. are
  3. was
  4. were
Explanation: With neither...nor, the verb agrees with the closer subject. Here the closer subject is "the manager," singular, and "now" calls for present tense, so choose "is." The tempting error is "are" because "employees" is plural, but proximity to the verb rules here.

Question 4

She is one of those teachers who   students to question everything since she began.

  1. will encourage
  2. has encouraged
  3. encouraged
  4. have encouraged (correct answer)
Explanation: The relative clause 'who ... since she began' describes the teachers, not the singular 'one,' so the verb must be plural present perfect: have encouraged. 'Has encouraged' is tempting because it matches 'one,' but the doers of the encouraging are those teachers; the time marker 'since she began' also requires the present perfect.

Question 5

Each of the candidates, even the most experienced,   currently prepared to answer tough questions.

  1. are
  2. is (correct answer)
  3. were
  4. was
Explanation: The subject is "Each," which is singular, so the verb must be singular. Since "currently" places the situation in the present, "is" is the correct choice. The most tempting error is "are," because the plural noun "candidates" appears nearby, but it is part of the prepositional phrase and does not determine the verb.

Question 6

Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?

  1. Most of the cake has been eaten already.
  2. None of the applicants was qualified for the position.
  3. Some of the students is late for the exam. (correct answer)
  4. All of the water is safe to drink.
Explanation: Subject-verb agreement questions test whether you can match singular subjects with singular verbs and plural subjects with plural verbs. The tricky part often involves phrases that begin with "of" and indefinite pronouns like "most," "none," "some," and "all." The correct answer is C because "some of the students" requires a plural verb, but "is" is singular. Since "students" is plural, the verb should be "are" to make it "Some of the students are late for the exam." Let's examine why the other options are correct: In choice A, "most of the cake" is singular because "cake" (the object of the preposition "of") is singular, so "has been eaten" is the proper singular verb form. Choice B follows a special rule where "none" can take either singular or plural verbs depending on context, but when referring to people in formal writing, the singular "was" is acceptable. Choice D works because "all of the water" is singular since "water" is an uncountable noun, making "is" the correct singular verb. The key strategy is to identify the true subject by looking at the noun that follows "of" in these prepositional phrases. Ask yourself: is that noun countable and plural, or singular/uncountable? With indefinite pronouns like "some," "most," "all," and "none," the noun after "of" determines whether you need a singular or plural verb. Watch for this pattern—it's a common source of agreement errors on the GED.

Question 7

Several local businesses   to sponsor the annual city festival.

  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 8

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  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 9

The committee   its final report to the board of directors next week.

  1. are presenting
  2. is presenting (correct answer)
  3. present
  4. have presented
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept you'll encounter frequently on the GED. When you see collective nouns like "committee," "team," or "board," you need to determine whether the group is acting as one unit or as separate individuals. The word "committee" is a collective noun that typically acts as a single unit. Since the committee is presenting one final report together as a unified group, you treat it as singular. This means you need the singular verb form "is presenting," making choice B correct. Let's examine why the other options don't work. Choice A ("are presenting") uses the plural verb form, which would be incorrect because "committee" is functioning as a singular unit here. Choice C ("present") uses the base form of the verb, but you need the present continuous tense ("is presenting") to indicate the future action happening "next week." Choice D ("have presented") uses the present perfect tense, which indicates an action already completed, but the sentence clearly states this will happen "next week" in the future. The key strategy is to identify collective nouns and determine their function. In American English, collective nouns usually take singular verbs when the group acts as one unit (which is most cases). Watch for time indicators like "next week" that help you choose the correct tense, and remember that collective nouns can be tricky—when in doubt, consider whether the group is acting together or separately.

Question 10

Many who were surveyed   that the city should invest more in public transportation.

  1. believe (correct answer)
  2. believes
  3. is believing
  4. has believed
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, specifically when the subject is a complex phrase. When you encounter sentences with phrases like "many who were surveyed," you need to identify the true subject to choose the correct verb form. The subject of this sentence is "many," which is a plural pronoun referring to multiple people. The phrase "who were surveyed" is a relative clause that describes these people, but it doesn't change the fact that "many" is plural. Since "many" is plural, it requires the plural verb form "believe." Let's examine why the other options don't work. Option B) "believes" is incorrect because it's the singular verb form, which would only be appropriate if the subject were singular (like "one person" or "someone"). Option C) "is believing" uses the present continuous tense, but "believe" is a stative verb that expresses a mental state or opinion—these verbs typically aren't used in continuous forms when expressing beliefs or opinions. Option D) "has believed" is the present perfect tense, which would imply that the believing happened in the past and continues to the present, but the context suggests we're talking about current survey results expressing current beliefs. The correct answer is A) "believe" because it matches the plural subject "many." Study tip: When checking subject-verb agreement, always identify the main subject by ignoring descriptive phrases set off by commas or relative clauses starting with "who," "which," or "that." The verb must agree with the main subject, not the words closest to it.

Question 11

The details in the final chapter of the book   the entire mystery.

  1. clarifies
  2. clarify (correct answer)
  3. is clarifying
  4. has clarified
Explanation: This question tests subject-verb agreement, a fundamental grammar concept that appears frequently on the GED. When you encounter these questions, immediately identify the subject and determine whether it's singular or plural. The subject of this sentence is "details," which is plural. Since "details" is plural, you need a verb form that agrees with a plural subject. Choice B) "clarify" is the correct plural verb form that matches "details." Let's examine why the other options don't work. Choice A) "clarifies" is incorrect because it's the singular verb form (third person singular with the -s ending), but your subject "details" is plural. Choice C) "is clarifying" fails for the same reason—"is" is singular, creating disagreement with the plural subject "details." Choice D) "has clarified" also uses the singular helping verb "has" instead of the plural "have," making it incompatible with "details." The sentence structure might initially confuse you because there's a prepositional phrase ("in the final chapter of the book") between the subject and verb. However, the object of a preposition never determines verb agreement—you must look back to the true subject, which is "details." Study tip: When checking subject-verb agreement, cross out prepositional phrases to clearly see the relationship between subject and verb. Remember that subjects ending in -s are usually plural (details, books, cars), while verbs ending in -s are usually singular (clarifies, explains, helps). This opposite pattern helps you catch agreement errors quickly.

Question 12

One of the key factors in the team's defeat   the numerous turnovers.

  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 13

The politician, along with his campaign staff,   scheduled to attend the town hall meeting.

  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 14

There   several important issues to discuss at the meeting.

  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 15

The orchestra   tuning their instruments individually before the concert begins.

  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 16

Everybody in the three surrounding counties   affected by the power outage.

  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 17

He is one of those employees who always   extra work without being asked.

  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 18

Here   the documents you requested and the key to the file cabinet.

  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 19

All of the files on the server   backed up nightly.

  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 20

Each of the new hires   required to attend an orientation session.

  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.