Subject–Verb and Pronoun–Antecedent Agreement Quiz

Instructions: Choose the form of the verb and/or pronoun that agrees with the subject and/or antecedent (noun or indefinite pronoun).

Question 1:

A child can increase _____ self-confidence greatly by participating in physical activity.
a) his
b) their
c) his or her

Question 2:

The money spent on athletes’ salaries _____ hurting the integrity of professional sports leagues.
a) is
b) are

Question 3:

Shipping and oil drilling _____ with the risks of oil spills and the pollution of our oceans.
a) come
b) comes

Question 4:

Open and honest communication _____ to a happy relationship.
a) contributes
b) contribute

Question 5:

The purpose of this essay is to investigate how the design of toothbrushes _____ changed over time.
a) have
b) has

Question 6:

A study by the Toronto Adoption Society and Health Canada _____ that infants exposed to cocaine in utero often have birth defects.
a) has revealed
b) have revealed

Question 7:

Every man over 44 years of age should know the level of _____ prostate-specific antigen.
a) his
b) their

Question 8:

In regions of the world where poverty prevails, starvation and poor hygiene _____ to disease.
a) lead
b) leads

Question 9:

Genes are the microscopic parts of a living organism that _____ _____ structure and functions.
a) determines its
b) determine their
c) determine its
d) determines their

Question 10:

The effects of Dissociative Identity Disorder on ____ victims _____ catastrophic.
a) its . . . are
b) their . . . is
c) its . . . is
d) their . . . are

Question 11:

If someone goes through school studying only science, _____ will complete only part of _____ education.
a) he or she . . . their
b) they . . . one’s
c) they . . . their
d) he or she . . . his or her

Question 12:

If a hard-working student is surrounded by like-minded individuals, _____ first year will likely be a positive experience, but living with people nothing like _____ will make ______ life difficult.
a) his or her . . . him or her . . . his or her
b) their...them...their

Question 13:

Radiation as well as moderate doses of chemotherapy _____ given prior to a bone marrow transplant to suppress the immune system.
a) is
b) are

Question 14:

Teachers can create podcasts for each child, helping _____ learn how to work in groups as well as plan _____ own project.
a) him or her . . . his or her
b) him...his
c) them...their

Question 15:

The everyday stresses of students, such as labs and essay deadlines, _____ them to manage their time wisely.
a) teach
b) teaches

Higher Education