ATI TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills) Version 7English and Language UsageMedium
A medical student is writing a case study and includes the sentence: 'The patient's symptoms, which includes fever and fatigue, were indicative of a viral infection.' Which of the following grammatical errors is present in the sentence?
- AIncorrect pronoun usage
- BSubject-verb agreement error
- CRun-on sentence
- DMisplaced modifier
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Subject-verb agreement error
The subject of the independent clause is 'symptoms' (plural), but the verb in the relative clause 'which includes fever and fatigue' is 'includes' (singular). The verb 'includes' should agree with its antecedent 'symptoms', making it 'which include'.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Pronouns ('which') are used correctly here.
- C. The sentence is not a run-on; it has a main clause and a correctly introduced relative clause.
- D. There is no modifier placed in an ambiguous or incorrect position.
Subject-Verb Agreement
The principle that the verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject.
- Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.
- Phrases between the subject and verb do not affect agreement.
- In clauses, the verb must agree with its antecedent.
Memory trick: Subjects and Verbs Must Always Agree