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Subject Verb Agreement – MBA CET questions with solutions

11 questions · CET 2025–2026 · Easy 9 · Medium 2 · Hard 0. Newest paper first. Full papers

Q200EasyCET 2026 · Attempt 2 Slot 2 · Q200

Each of the following sentences has one part that may contain a grammatical error. The sentence is divided into five parts (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E). Identify the part that contains the error. If the sentence is correct as it is, select (E).

The committee (A) / have decided (B) / to postpone (C) / the annual meeting (D) / due to unavoidable circumstances. (E)

  1. The committee
  2. have decided
  3. to postpone
  4. the annual meeting
  5. due to unavoidable circumstances.
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Answer: B official key

Approach: Subject–verb agreement with a collective noun.

Solution: 'The committee' acts as one unit making a single decision, so it takes a singular verb: 'The committee has decided to postpone the annual meeting due to unavoidable circumstances.' The error is in part (B) 'have decided'.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'The committee' — correct subject.
C: 'to postpone' — correct infinitive.
D: 'the annual meeting' — correct.
E: the final part is correct (here E also stands for 'no error', which is ruled out).

Cetking shortcut: Collective noun acting as one body → singular verb; members acting separately → plural.

Answer: B

Q188EasyCET 2026 · Attempt 2 Slot 1 · Q188

In the following sentence, one part of the sentence has an error. Find out that particular part and select the appropriate option. If there is no error in the sentence, choose E as your answer.

The rapid growth of cities (A) / have resulted in increased pressure (B) / on public infrastructure, (C) / especially in developing nations. (D) / No error (E)

  1. The rapid growth of cities
  2. have resulted in increased pressure
  3. on public infrastructure,
  4. especially in developing nations.
  5. No error
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Answer: B official key

Approach: Subject–verb agreement — find the true subject.

Solution: Subject: 'The rapid growth' (singular); 'of cities' is only a modifier. So the verb must be 'has resulted', not 'have resulted'. Error in part B.
Correct: 'The rapid growth of cities has resulted in increased pressure on public infrastructure, especially in developing nations.'

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Correct noun phrase.
C: Correct preposition and noun.
D: Correct modifier.
E: There is an error in B.

Cetking shortcut: Cover the 'of + noun' phrase and read 'The rapid growth have…' — the error jumps out.

Answer: B

Q189EasyCET 2026 · Attempt 2 Slot 1 · Q189

In the following sentence, one part of the sentence has an error. Find out that particular part and select the appropriate option. If there is no error in the sentence, choose E as your answer.

One of the main reasons (A) / for the project’s failure (B) / were the lack of coordination (C) / among various departments. (D) / No error (E)

  1. One of the main reasons
  2. for the project’s failure
  3. were the lack of coordination
  4. among various departments.
  5. No error
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Answer: C official key

Approach: Subject–verb agreement — 'One of…' structure.

Solution: Subject: 'One' (of the main reasons) — singular. Also the complement 'the lack of coordination' is singular. So 'were' must be 'was'. Error in part C.
Correct: 'One of the main reasons for the project's failure was the lack of coordination among various departments.'

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'One of the main reasons' is correct.
B: Possessive 'project's' is correct.
D: 'Among' correctly used for many departments.
E: There is an error in C.

Cetking shortcut: 'One of the ___s' → always a singular verb.

Answer: C

Q192EasyCET 2026 · Attempt 2 Slot 1 · Q192

Choose the grammatically correct sentence.

A. The number of applicants have increased sharply this year.
B. A number of applicants has increased sharply this year.
C. The number of applicants has increased sharply this year.
D. The number of applicant have increased sharply this year.
E. A number of applicant has increased sharply this year.

  1. The number of applicants have increased sharply this year.
  2. A number of applicants has increased sharply this year.
  3. The number of applicants has increased sharply this year.
  4. The number of applicant have increased sharply this year.
  5. A number of applicant has increased sharply this year.
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Answer: C official key

Approach: Subject–verb agreement — the number / a number rule.

Solution: 'The number of applicants' refers to one figure (the count) → singular verb 'has'. C: 'The number of applicants has increased sharply this year.' — correct.
('A number of applicants' means many applicants → plural verb, and a count cannot 'increase' that way.)

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'The number… have' — verb should be singular.
B: 'A number of… has' — 'a number of' needs a plural verb, and the meaning (count rose) needs 'the number'.
D: 'applicant' must be plural after 'number of'; 'have' also wrong.
E: 'applicant' singular after 'a number of' — wrong.

Cetking shortcut: THE number → singular (it's a statistic); A number → plural (it means 'many').

Answer: C

Q198EasyCET 2026 · Attempt 2 Slot 1 · Q198

Choose the correct sentence:

A. A series of lectures were scheduled for the semester.
B. A series of lectures was scheduled for the semester.
C. A series of lectures are scheduled for the semester.
D. A series of lectures have been scheduled for the semester.
E. A series of lectures were being scheduled for the semester.

  1. A series of lectures were scheduled for the semester.
  2. A series of lectures was scheduled for the semester.
  3. A series of lectures are scheduled for the semester.
  4. A series of lectures have been scheduled for the semester.
  5. A series of lectures were being scheduled for the semester.
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Answer: B official key

Approach: Subject–verb agreement — head noun 'series'.

Solution: In 'A series of lectures', the subject is 'series' (one set) → singular verb. B: 'A series of lectures was scheduled for the semester.' — correct.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'were' — plural verb wrong.
C: 'are' — plural verb wrong.
D: 'have been' — plural verb wrong.
E: 'were being' — plural verb wrong.

Cetking shortcut: Four options share a plural verb; the one singular verb is the answer.

Answer: B

Q199EasyCET 2026 · Slot 5 · Q199

Pick the correct grammatical sentence.
(A) The pack of wolves were dangerous.

(B) The pack of wolves was dangerous.

(C) The pack of wolves are dangerous.

(D) This pack of wolves are dangerous.

(E) The bouquet of flowers am dangeours.

  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
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Answer: B official key

Approach: The verb agrees with the head noun before 'of', not the noun after it.

Solution: Head noun = pack (one unit) → singular verb: 'The pack of wolves was dangerous.'

Why the other options are wrong:
A, C, D — plural verbs 'were/are' with singular 'pack'.
E — 'am' cannot go with a third-person subject; the spelling is also wrong.

Cetking shortcut: Cover the 'of …' phrase and read 'The pack ___ dangerous' — the verb becomes obvious.

Answer: B

Q177MediumCET 2026 · Slot 3 · Q177

Directions: From the following sentences, choose the grammatically correct sentence.

  1. A belief that he is humble and being really humble is what makes him so likeable.
  2. A belief that he is humble and being really humble are what makes him so likable.
  3. Believing that he is humble and really being humble is what makes him so likeable.
  4. Believing that he is humble and really being humble are what makes him so likable.
  5. A beliefs that he is humble and being really humble are what makes him so likable.
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Answer: C official key

Approach: Parallelism first, then agreement.

Solution: The two subject parts must be in the same form: "Believing that he is humble and really being humble" — two gerunds, parallel. The pair is presented as one combined quality that makes him likeable, so it takes the singular 'is what makes'. ('Likeable' and 'likable' are both accepted spellings — spelling is not the issue.)

Why the other options are wrong:
A, B, E: 'A belief… and being' mixes a noun with a gerund — not parallel; E also has 'A beliefs'.
D: Parallel, but the plural 'are' clashes with the singular 'makes' in the same clause.

Cetking shortcut: Eliminate non-parallel options first (A, B, E), then choose between C and D on agreement with 'makes'.

Answer: C

Q192EasyCET 2025 · Slot 6 · Q192
Pick the correct grammatical sentence
  1. The bouquet of flowers were beautiful.
  2. The bouquet of flowers was beautiful.
  3. The bouquet of flowers are beautiful.
  4. The bouquet of flowers is beautifuller.
  5. The bouquet of flowers am beautifuller.
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Answer: B

Approach: Subject–verb agreement with collective head noun 'bouquet of + plural'.

Solution: The head noun is 'bouquet' (singular); 'of flowers' is only a modifier. So the verb is singular: 'The bouquet of flowers was beautiful.' 'Beautiful' takes 'more beautiful' as comparative, never 'beautifuller'.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'were' — agrees wrongly with 'flowers'.
C: 'are' — same error.
D: 'beautifuller' — not a word.
E: 'am' and 'beautifuller' — both wrong.

Cetking shortcut: Cover the 'of + noun' phrase and match the verb to the first noun.

Answer: B

Q179MediumCET 2025 · Slot 3 · Q179
Neither of the plans (A)/ suit him and therefore (B)/ he decided not to (C)/ go out yesterday. (D)/ No error (E)
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
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Answer: B

Approach: Error spotting — 'Neither of + plural noun' takes a singular verb.

Solution: The subject is Neither (singular), not 'plans'. So 'suit' is wrong.
The sentence is in the past ('decided … yesterday'), so the verb should be suited.
Correct: 'Neither of the plans suited him and therefore he decided not to go out yesterday.'

Why the other options are wrong:
A. 'Neither of the plans' — correct.
C. 'he decided not to' — correct.
D. 'go out yesterday' — correct.
E. No error — wrong, (B) has the error.

Cetking shortcut: Either/Neither/Each/Every of + plural noun → singular verb.

Answer: B

Q190EasyCET 2025 · Slot 3 · Q190
One should love ….. country
  1. once
  2. ones
  3. their
  4. his
  5. one’s
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Answer: E

Approach: Pronoun agreement — 'one' takes 'one's'.

Solution: In formal English, the pronoun one is followed by the same pronoun: 'One should love one's country.'

Why the other options are wrong:
A. once — an adverb (one time).
B. ones — plural noun; the possessive needs an apostrophe.
C. their — plural; does not match 'one'.
D. his — used in older texts, but the standard exam answer keeps 'one … one's'.

Answer: E

Q188EasyCET 2025 · Slot 2 · Q188
Error Identification in Sentence Parts
Sentence:
poorly regulated pharmaceutical (A) / industry mean that antibiotics (B) / are freely available to (C) / those who can afford them (D)
Which part contains an error?
  1. (A)
  2. (B)
  3. (C)
  4. (D)
  5. (E) No error
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Answer: B

Approach: Subject–verb agreement: the subject is 'industry' (singular).

Solution: 'Poorly regulated pharmaceutical industry mean that…' – the head noun 'industry' is singular, so the verb must be 'means'. The error is in part (B).

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'poorly regulated pharmaceutical' – correct modifiers.
C: 'are freely available to' – agrees with 'antibiotics' (plural).
D: 'those who can afford them' – correct.
E: there is an error.

Cetking shortcut: Find the verb, ask 'who means?' – 'industry' → singular.

Answer: B

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