- What it targets: Subject-Verb Agreement / Pronoun issues.
- The Trick: Scan the answer choices and categorize them by singular or plural. If three answers are one and one is the opposite, the "odd one out" is almost always the correct answer.
- Test it: Say the word "They" followed by the verb. For example, "They run" sounds correct, meaning "run" is plural. If the other choices are "he/she runs," the odd choice is your answer.
- ex: a. run b. runs c. ran d. are running
They run
They ran
They runs - “runs” is singular the rest of the answer choices have been proven plural. this is the “odd one out” so it would likely be the correct answer choice
They are running
How do you know if it’s a subject-verb agreement + pronoun issue question? (what do they look like? )/how do you know when to apply this rule
Practice Questions:
Question 1Recent archaeological excavations in the high-altitude regions of the Andes mountains indicate that a specialized network of stone-paved highways, constructed during the height of the Inca Empire, __________ vital economic corridors despite the rugged terrain.(A) has remained(B) remains(C) remain(D) is remaining
- Correct Answer: (C)
- The Trick: Scan the verbs in the answer choices and run the "They" test on each to sort them into singular (1) or plural (2+):
- (A) They has remained ❌ -> He/It has remained (Singular)
- (B) They remains ❌ -> He/It remains (Singular)
- (C) They remain -> (Plural)
- (D) They is remaining ❌ -> He/It is remaining (Singular)
- Why it works: Three options are singular, and only one is plural. Without even reading the giant sentence to find the tricky subject ("network" vs. "highways"), the odd one out (C) must be the right answer.Question 2Biologists studying the subterranean behavior of Heterocephalus glaber (the naked mole-rat) have noted that while individual colony members possess limited independent visual acuity, the collective pack __________ highly coordinated defensive strategies.(A) exhibit(B) exhibits(C) are exhibiting(D) have exhibited
- Correct Answer: (B)
- The Trick: Categorize the choices into singular or plural using your "They" test:
- (A) They exhibit -> (Plural)
- (B) They exhibits ❌ -> He/It exhibits (Singular)
- (C) They are exhibiting -> (Plural)
- (D) They have exhibited -> (Plural)
- Why it works: Options A, C, and D are all plural forms. Choice (B) is the only singular verb in the lineup. Because it is the "odd one out," it is automatically your correct answer. (Mechanically, the true subject is the singular collective noun "the collective pack").