Form, Structure, and Sense Flashcards

Neither the principal nor the teachers _______ satisfied with the proposed budget cuts.

Answer: were

With 'neither…nor,' the verb agrees with the closer subject 'teachers,' which is plural, so 'were' is correct.

The student who earned the highest marks _______ awarded a scholarship at the ceremony.

Answer: was

'Student' is singular, requiring the singular past verb 'was'; the relative clause is a modifier and doesn't change the subject.

By next month, the construction crew _______ the new highway overpass for three years.

Answer: will have built

'Will have built' is future perfect, which expresses an action that will be completed before a specific future time ('by next month').

The CEO distributed bonuses to all _______ employees who had exceeded their annual targets.

Answer: her

'Her' is the correct possessive adjective modifying 'employees'; 'she's' is a contraction and 'hers' is a standalone possessive pronoun.

The committee must decide whether to expand _______ current operations or seek new markets.

Answer: its

'Its' is the possessive form for the singular collective noun 'committee'; 'it's' is a contraction of 'it is.'

Concerned about the declining sales figures, _______ immediately scheduled a strategy meeting.

Answer: the director

'The director' is the only option that can logically be 'concerned'—the participle must modify a person as the subject.

The museum's collection of rare artifacts _______ on permanent display in the east wing.

Answer: is

The subject is 'collection' (singular), not 'artifacts'; a singular noun takes a singular verb like 'is.'