Question
\begin{tabular}{l} 1. The boys was/were late for school. \\ 2. The soccer team was/were on the bus. \\ 3. The nurse was/were helping the patient. \\ \hline 4. The cakes was/were delicious. \\ \hline 5. The farmer was/were planting in the rain. \\ \hline 6. The horse was/were in the stable. \\ \hline 7. My feet was/were aching. \\ \hline 8. My parents was/were at church. \\ \hline 9. We was/were at the cinema. \\ \hline 10. The flock of sheep was/were in the field. \\ \hline\end{tabular}
Ask by West Grant. in South Africa
Feb 04,2025
Real Tutor Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
Here are the correct forms using "was" or "were":
1. The boys **were** late for school.
2. The soccer team **was** on the bus.
3. The nurse **was** helping the patient.
4. The cakes **were** delicious.
5. The farmer **was** planting in the rain.
6. The horse **was** in the stable.
7. My feet **were** aching.
8. My parents **were** at church.
9. We **were** at the cinema.
10. The flock of sheep **was** in the field.
**Summary:**
- Use "was" with singular subjects.
- Use "were" with plural subjects.
- Collective nouns can be singular or plural based on context.
If you have more questions, feel free to ask!
Solution
Sure! Below are the correct forms of each sentence using **"was"** or **"were"**, along with brief explanations:
1. **The boys **_were_** late for school.**
- *"Boys"* is plural, so use **"were."**
2. **The soccer team **_was_** on the bus.**
- *"Soccer team"* is a collective noun treated as singular, so use **"was."**
3. **The nurse **_was_** helping the patient.**
- *"Nurse"* is singular, so use **"was."**
4. **The cakes **_were_** delicious.**
- *"Cakes"* is plural, so use **"were."**
5. **The farmer **_was_** planting in the rain.**
- *"Farmer"* is singular, so use **"was."**
6. **The horse **_was_** in the stable.**
- *"Horse"* is singular, so use **"was."**
7. **My feet **_were_** aching.**
- *"Feet"* is the plural of "foot," so use **"were."**
8. **My parents **_were_** at church.**
- *"Parents"* is plural, so use **"were."**
9. **We **_were_** at the cinema.**
- *"We"* is plural, so use **"were."**
10. **The flock of sheep **_was_** in the field.**
- *"Flock"* is a collective noun treated as singular, so use **"was."**
### **Summary of Correct Choices:**
1. **were**
2. **was**
3. **was**
4. **were**
5. **was**
6. **was**
7. **were**
8. **were**
9. **were**
10. **was**
### **Key Points on Using "Was" vs. "Were":**
- **Use "was"** with singular subjects (e.g., he, she, it, singular nouns).
- **Use "were"** with plural subjects (e.g., they, we, plural nouns).
- **Collective nouns** (like "team," "flock") can be singular or plural based on whether you’re emphasizing the group as a single entity (**singular**) or the individual members (**plural**).
- **"We"** is always plural and takes **"were."**
Feel free to ask if you have any more questions or need further explanations!
Reviewed and approved by the UpStudy tutoring team
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Explain 
Simplify this solution Mind Expander
For that classic grammar dilemma of choosing between “was” and “were,” it’s all about the subject! Singular subjects take “was” (like “the nurse” or “the horse”), while plural subjects (or collective nouns like “the soccer team” when considered as a single unit) take “were.” Make sure to match your verb to the subject to keep your sentences in harmony! Common mistakes often happen with subjects that sound plural but act singular, like collective nouns. When you say "the soccer team was," you're treating the team as a single entity! But with "my parents," since they're individuals, you'd use "were." A little extra attention to detail can go a long way in ensuring grammatical success!
