SSC CGL (Prelims) General: Subject-Verb Agreement questions with solutions

Q1. Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: The manager insisted (1) that every employee must submits the form (2) before the deadline (3) without any exceptions. (4)

1. (1)
2. (2)
3. (3)
4. (4)

Answer: (2)

The error is in 'must submits' because modal verbs like 'must' are followed by the base form of the verb. It should be 'must submit'.

Q2. Choose the correct form: The panel of experts, along with the chief advisor, ______ scheduled to submit the report tomorrow.

1. are
2. were
3. is
4. have been

Answer: is

The subject is “The panel,” which is singular. The phrase “along with the chief advisor” is additional information and does not affect subject-verb agreement, so the correct verb is “is.”

Q3. Choose the most suitable option to replace the underlined part of the sentence: The police is searching the building for evidence.

1. are searching the building for evidence
2. searches the building
3. were searching for evidence the building
4. is in search

Answer: are searching the building for evidence

Although "police" looks singular, it is treated as a plural noun when referring to the officers. Therefore, the correct verb is "are searching."

Q4. Identify the part of the given sentence that has a grammatical error: Neither the principal nor the students (1)/ has completed (2)/ their assigned fieldwork (3)/ before the scheduled deadline. (4)

1. (1)
2. (2)
3. (3)
4. (4)

Answer: (2)

In a neither-nor construction, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since "students" is plural, the verb should be "have completed," not "has completed."