Usage Exam 2025/2026 Exam Questions
with 100% Correct Answers | Latest
Update
1. Prep phrase or other words do not affect s-v agreement. A list of honors
students was (not were) posted in the hall.
2. Indefinite pronouns are (mostly) singular. Neither of the books is (not
are) worth reading.
3. In correlative constructions (either . . . or, etc.) the verb agrees with the
part of the subject closest to the verb. Not only the deans but also the
president was present. Not only the president but also the deans were
present.
,4. In there is/are sentences, and in inverted sentences, find the subject. On
the wall there were (not was) several posters.
5. The verb agrees with the subject, not the subject complement. His main
source of pleasure is radio and television. BUT: Radio and television are
his main sources of pleasure.
Consensus: Follow the rules in writing, but not important in speech. -
🧠ANSWER ✔✔Subject-verb agreement (long)
Debate: Does our use of pronouns and other gendered words reflect
societal biases toward those genders? Should language be used so that it
either does not distinguish gender or does not favor one over another?
Traditional rule: Yes to both questions. Language users need to be very
careful about not sounding sexist.
1. Generic "he": Before the Feminist Movement of the 60s and 70s the so-
called generic "he" was used to refer to both male and female. These
feminists fought for more inclusive language use. Since then we have
developed several options for fixing the following sentence:
, Each participant thought that he was treated fairly
1. He or she: Each participant thought that he or she was treated fairly.
(can be cumbersome).
2. They: Each participant thought that they were treated fairly.
3. Pluralize: The participants thought that they were treated fairly.
4. Reshape: None of the participants felt mistreated.
2. - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Sexist language (long)
The name of a group, singular in form but plural in implication.
Debate: Do collective nouns take singular verb or plural verb?
American: Usually default to the singular. More specific: Use a singular
verb and a singular pronoun with a collective noun when the group is
thought of as a single unit, and a plural verb and pronoun when the group
is thought of as a number of individuals.
The class was (not were) electing a new president.
The party lost their (not its) hats.
3
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
with 100% Correct Answers | Latest
Update
1. Prep phrase or other words do not affect s-v agreement. A list of honors
students was (not were) posted in the hall.
2. Indefinite pronouns are (mostly) singular. Neither of the books is (not
are) worth reading.
3. In correlative constructions (either . . . or, etc.) the verb agrees with the
part of the subject closest to the verb. Not only the deans but also the
president was present. Not only the president but also the deans were
present.
,4. In there is/are sentences, and in inverted sentences, find the subject. On
the wall there were (not was) several posters.
5. The verb agrees with the subject, not the subject complement. His main
source of pleasure is radio and television. BUT: Radio and television are
his main sources of pleasure.
Consensus: Follow the rules in writing, but not important in speech. -
🧠ANSWER ✔✔Subject-verb agreement (long)
Debate: Does our use of pronouns and other gendered words reflect
societal biases toward those genders? Should language be used so that it
either does not distinguish gender or does not favor one over another?
Traditional rule: Yes to both questions. Language users need to be very
careful about not sounding sexist.
1. Generic "he": Before the Feminist Movement of the 60s and 70s the so-
called generic "he" was used to refer to both male and female. These
feminists fought for more inclusive language use. Since then we have
developed several options for fixing the following sentence:
, Each participant thought that he was treated fairly
1. He or she: Each participant thought that he or she was treated fairly.
(can be cumbersome).
2. They: Each participant thought that they were treated fairly.
3. Pluralize: The participants thought that they were treated fairly.
4. Reshape: None of the participants felt mistreated.
2. - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Sexist language (long)
The name of a group, singular in form but plural in implication.
Debate: Do collective nouns take singular verb or plural verb?
American: Usually default to the singular. More specific: Use a singular
verb and a singular pronoun with a collective noun when the group is
thought of as a single unit, and a plural verb and pronoun when the group
is thought of as a number of individuals.
The class was (not were) electing a new president.
The party lost their (not its) hats.
3
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
