which of these examples shows incorrect use of subject verb agreement

ATI TEAS 7

English and Language Usage TEAS

1. Which of these examples shows incorrect use of subject-verb agreement?

A. Neither of the cars is parked on the street.
B. Both of my kids are going to camp this summer.
C. Any of your friends are welcome to join us on the trip in November.
D. Each of the clothing options is appropriate for the job interview.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The sentence 'Neither of the cars is parked on the street' is incorrect in terms of subject-verb agreement. The subject 'Neither' is singular, so the verb should also be singular, which should be 'is' instead of 'are.' The correct sentence should be 'Neither of the cars is parked on the street.' Choices B, C, and D demonstrate correct subject-verb agreement. In choice B, 'Both' is plural and agrees with the plural verb 'are.' In choice C, 'Any' is singular and agrees with the singular verb 'are.' In choice D, 'Each' is singular and agrees with the singular verb 'is.'

2. Which verb tense is most appropriate to complete this sentence: 'By next week, I _____ the project'?

A. I will be finishing
B. I will have finished
C. I am finishing
D. I would finish

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is option B, 'I will have finished'. This choice correctly expresses a future event (finishing the project) that will be completed before another future point in time (next week). The future perfect tense 'will have finished' is used to show an action that will be completed before a specified future time. Choice A, 'I will be finishing', is incorrect as it indicates an ongoing action that will still be in progress by next week, which is not the intended meaning. Choice C, 'I am finishing', is incorrect as it indicates a present action that is ongoing, not a future event. Choice D, 'I would finish', is incorrect as 'would' is used for hypothetical situations or polite requests, which is not suitable in this context of a future project completion.

3. Which of the following sentences best serves as the topic sentence in a paragraph about the history of yoga?

A. The word 'yoga' was mentioned in the Vedas, a collection of texts containing songs, mantras, and rituals used by Vedic priests.
B. By the late 1800s, yoga masters from India began to travel to the West, attracting followers.
C. After a few hundred years, yoga masters rejected the teachings of the ancient Vedas and embraced the physical body as the means to achieve enlightenment.
D. The practice of yoga first developed in the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India over 5,000 years ago.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because it introduces the historical origin of yoga, which is the main focus of the paragraph. This sentence sets the context by providing a foundational understanding of where and when yoga originated. Choice A talks about the mention of yoga in the Vedas but does not provide information about the historical development of yoga itself. Choice B discusses the travel of yoga masters to the West, which is a later development in the history of yoga and not the starting point. Choice C refers to a shift in yoga philosophy without directly addressing its origins, making it less suitable as a topic sentence compared to choice D.

4. What is the best way to punctuate the dialogue, 'Are you coming?' she asked. 'Maybe,' I replied.

A. 'Are you coming?' she asked? 'Maybe,' I replied.
B. 'Are you coming?' she asked. 'Maybe,' I replied.
C. 'Are you coming?' she asked, 'Maybe,' I replied.
D. 'Are you coming?' she asked, 'Maybe,' I replied.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct way to punctuate dialogue is to enclose each speaker's words in quotation marks. Additionally, the question mark should be placed inside the closing quotation mark of the question. In this case, the correct answer is B as it adheres to the punctuation rules for dialogue. Each character's dialogue is correctly enclosed in quotation marks, and the question mark is appropriately positioned inside the closing quotation mark of the question. Choice A is incorrect as the question mark is placed outside the closing quotation mark of the question. Choice C is incorrect as it uses a comma instead of a period after 'she asked.' Choice D is incorrect as it uses a comma instead of a period after 'she asked' and incorrectly places the comma inside the closing quotation mark of the question.

5. A teacher notices that, when students are talking to each other between classes, they are using their own unique vocabulary words and expressions to talk about their daily lives. When the teacher hears these non-standard words that are specific to one age or cultural group, what type of language is she listening to?

A. Slang
B. Jargon
C. Dialect
D. Vernacular

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Slang.' Slang refers to informal words or phrases that are specific to a particular group of people, such as young people or a specific culture. In this scenario, the teacher is hearing non-standard words and expressions used by students, which aligns with the definition of slang. Jargon typically refers to specialized terminology used within a specific profession or group. Dialect refers to a particular form of a language that is specific to a region or social group. Vernacular refers to the everyday language spoken by people in a particular region or country.