1. Vaccine production and research ____ become more expensive in recent years.
Two separate subjects joined by and normally take a plural verb.
2. The absence of chemical and biological weapons and our failure to create a stable, secular democracy ____ the situation difficult to resolve.
Two separate subjects joined by and take a plural verb.
3. Shock and titillation in popular culture ____ often used to attract public attention.
Two separate nouns joined by and take a plural verb.
4. The moaning and groaning ____ continued throughout the night.
When two nouns or gerunds joined by and refer to one combined idea or activity, a singular verb can be used.
5. The extent and severity of the problem ____ difficult to determine at this stage.
Here, extent and severity are treated as one combined assessment of the problem, so a singular verb is used.
6. Buying and selling kitsch on eBay ____ a surprisingly popular hobby.
Two gerunds joined by and can take a singular verb when they describe one combined activity.
7. Every language and skin color ____ welcome at the international event.
Every is grammatically singular, so it takes a singular verb even when followed by and.
8. Each supervisor and employee ____ responsible for following the new safety rules.
Each is grammatically singular, so it takes a singular verb.
9. The supervisor and the employee ____ attending the training session together.
The supervisor and the employee are two separate people joined by and, so they take a plural verb.
10. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry ____ to have an opinion about the election.
Every is grammatically singular, so the verb must be singular.
Score: 0 / 10
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