5 exercises — practise verb agreement with quantifying phrases in reports and metrics summaries.
0 / 5 completed
1 / 5
Which sentence correctly uses plural verb agreement with "a number of" (meaning "several")?
"A number of servers... are running" is correct: "a number of" meaning "several/many" takes a plural verb, agreeing with the plural noun that follows ("servers"), because the phrase functions as a quantifier modifying a plural count rather than as a singular unit. Options A and C incorrectly use singular verbs ("is", "was"), a common error that confuses "a number of" with singular quantifying phrases. Option D pairs the plural quantifier with a singular noun ("server"), which is internally inconsistent — "a number of" requires a plural countable noun to follow.
2 / 5
Which sentence correctly uses singular verb agreement with "the number of" (referring to the count itself as a single figure)?
"The number of failed requests has increased" is correct: unlike "a number of", the phrase "the number of" refers to the count itself as a single quantity, so it takes a singular verb ("has"), even though it is followed by a plural noun ("requests") — this is a classic and frequently tested distinction in technical and academic writing. Options A and B incorrectly use plural verbs ("have", "are"), applying the "a number of" rule to "the number of" by mistake. Option D pairs "the number of" with a singular noun ("request"), which is grammatically inconsistent since counting requires a plural countable noun.
3 / 5
Which sentence correctly uses "a majority of" with verb agreement matching the following plural noun?
"A majority of the test cases pass" is correct: with "a majority/minority/portion/percentage of" + plural countable noun, the verb agrees with the following noun ("test cases"), which is plural, so the plural verb "pass" is required. Option A incorrectly uses the singular verb "passes", not matching the plural noun that governs agreement in this construction. Option C pairs the quantifier with a singular noun ("test case"), which is inconsistent — a majority requires a plural, countable group to divide. Option D uses singular "is passing", again mismatching the plural noun "test cases".
4 / 5
Which sentence correctly uses "a subset of" with agreement based on the noun that follows it?
"A subset of the user records was corrupted" is correct: "a subset of" behaves like "a number of" quantifiers in that the following plural noun ("user records") determines a plural-feeling group, but "subset" itself is grammatically the head noun of the phrase and is singular ("a subset"), so many style guides treat the verb as agreeing with the singular head "subset" rather than the object of "of" — making "was" the more traditionally correct, formally preferred choice, though usage varies. Option A ("were") treats "records" as the agreement trigger, which is common informally but less consistent with the "subset is the head noun" analysis. Option C pairs the phrase with a singular noun ("user record"), which does not logically support the idea of a "subset" being taken from a larger group. Option D changes "corrupted" (a fully inflected past participle describing an event) to "corrupt" (a bare adjective describing a state), a subtly different meaning that does not match "during the migration" as naturally.
5 / 5
A capacity report says: "The number of concurrent connections _____ risen sharply, while a number of backend nodes _____ still under-provisioned." Choose the correct pair of verbs.
"Has / are" is correct: "the number of concurrent connections" takes the singular verb "has" (the count itself is one figure), while "a number of backend nodes" takes the plural verb "are" (referring to several nodes) — this sentence deliberately tests both quantifier patterns side by side, since confusing "the number of" with "a number of" is one of the most common agreement errors in technical writing. Option A reverses both choices incorrectly. Option C incorrectly uses singular "is" for "a number of backend nodes", which should be plural. Option D incorrectly uses plural "have" for "the number of concurrent connections", which should be singular.