Which of the following sentences has an error in subject-verb agreement?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Not only my uncles but also my grandfather were waiting at the station to receive us.
Subject-verb agreement with “not only ... but also”:
- The given sentence says “Not only my uncles but also my grandfather were waiting”.
- With “not only ... but also”, the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it.
- Here that is “my grandfather”, which is singular. So the verb must be “was”.
- Corrected: Not only my uncles but also my grandfather was waiting at the station to receive us.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Our colony’s cricket club has chosen its new captain. This sentence is correct. “The cricket club” acts as one group here, as “its” shows. So it takes the singular verb “has”.
Option 3: Tales of Akbar and Birbal is my little sister’s favourite bedtime book. This sentence is correct. Tales of Akbar and Birbal is the title of one book, so it takes the singular verb “is”.
Option 4: Everybody in both teams was given a medal after the final. This sentence is correct. “Everybody” is singular, so it takes “was”.