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Subject - Verb Agreement - Exercise 5

Directions: Write your answers in the space provided under each item. When you have completed both Parts I and II of the exercise, click on "Check My Answers" and check your answers with those on the answer key.

Part I

Directions: Each sentence below contains an indefinite pronoun subject. Choose the correct verb from the parentheses to agree with the subject. Write your answers in the space provided under each item.

1. Among the animals, turtles cling to their basic structural design, while many others (is, are) experimenting their way to extinction.



2. Turtles are unique; each (has, have) eight cervical vertebrea, compared with seven of most mammals.



3. Turtles are honored in many countries; in China, for example, everyone (worships, worship) the legendary turtle named Dwei who created the universe.



4. Turtles have specific characteristics; all (displays, display) two plated decks: the upper, called the carapace, and the lower, known as the plastron.



5. Of the female turtles, some (has, have) been found to be twice the size of the males.



Part II

Directions: This group of sentences contains a mixture of correct and incorrect subject-verb combinations. Read each sentence carefully. If the subject and verb agree, write "correct" in the space provided below. If the subject and verb do not agree, correct the sentence. Write the corrections in the space below.

6. Among the fascinating facts about turtles, another are their patterns of dots, splashes, and hieroglyphs.



7. Aquatic turtles are different from land turtles: most is unable to close their shells.



8. Everyone knows Ogden Nash’s celebrated poem about turtles.



9. No one is going to bother snappers, eaters of anything from snakes and wooden canoe chunks to baby alligators.



10. However, of the early tribes, several uses turtles for food.




         

 

For further information on these resources, contact
Margaret L. Benner
benner@towson.edu

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