NOUN-NOUN
AGREEMENT
Noun-Noun Agreement
This kind of question, as the title suggests, deals with nouns agreeing with other nouns. Just as a
subject must agree with a verb in number, a noun referring to another noun must agree in number. If
the first noun is singular, then the one that refers to the first must also be singular.
Example: Josh and Jerry both plan to become an engineer.
Since the sentence is talking about two people, the noun that refers to those people must be plural.
Josh and Jerry both plan to become engineers. Think of it this way: two separate people can’t
become only one person.
Let’s Practice – Noun-Noun Agreement
Read the sentences below and look specifically for nouns that refer to other nouns.
Once identified, decide whether or not those nouns agree with each other in number. In the
space provided make the appropriate corrections.
_______________ 1.
Many of Clara’s business associates are unhappy with their current
positions and are studying to be a financial consultant.
_______________ 2.
Dieting and exercising are an example of ways a person can go about losing
weight effectively.
_______________ 3.
Many of the responsibilities of Bob and Jerry as a manager of the stores can
be delegated to their employees.
_______________ 4.
After taking several classes together, both Tom and Allisa decided to
become an anthropologist after graduation.
_______________ 5.
The problems we identified in the data resulted from the experiment of
three different laboratories.
_______________ 6.
Because of their past contributions to the scientific community, those
professors are generally considered to be the nation’s top intellectual.
_______________ 7.
Football and baseball are an example of America’s most favored spectator
sports.
_______________ 8.
The popularity of Allen and Anthony as a politician can be ascribed to the
intensified efforts of the group of supporters behind them.
Remember that the vocabulary study follows this reading passage and covers the hard words. You should consider doing
it first, and then working through the Passage Based Testing.
Passage Based Testing
The passage below contains underlined sections for you to consider editing and
revising. Choose the answer choice that best completes the sentence according to
conventional grammar standards. Look specifically for errors in noun-noun
agreement in this test.
The fashion show was due to begin in minutes,
but the director was all in a dither. The hall for the
show was commodious enough for a much larger
crowd than was expected. All the jaunty outfits
were hanging neatly in each model’s cubicle. The
designers had worked tirelessly to get ready for the
show. Their work was impeccable!
Only one thing was wrong. Three models had
not yet arrived on location. These particular models
were considered to be ❶ the top model of the
country. The frantic director had delayed the show
at the first notice of their absence, but the time had
come for him to go forth, even without his ❷ star
participant.
His shows had been ❸ a perennial event for the
last ten years, and the publicity was exceptional.
Fashion reporters were present from all parts of the
country. The popularity of these three models as
❹
a top professional was due in part to the
reporters that covered the events year after
year.There was no excuse for their absence, except,
perhaps, that rumors had been circulating that
changes in their contracts for next year were being
considered.
The leader of the modeling groups ❺ was a
maverick if ever there was one, and her mutinous
behavior of not attending this event, as well as
convincing two others to join her, was certainly
cause for breaking her contract. He had delt with
her disruptive conduct for too long. As far as he
was concerned, they were now ❻ an outcast. He
would go on without them!
With a staid composure he reassigned the absent
❼
women’s wardrobe to the remaining models,
shook off his disappointment and anger, and went
forward on the walkway to introduce the show, sure
to be a success.
1. A)
B)
C)
D)
NO CHANGE
the only top model
the top models
one of the top models
2. A)
B)
C)
NO CHANGE
top staring participant
participants who would be the star
of the show
star participants
D)
3. A)
B)
C)
D)
NO CHANGE
perennial events
events that were perennial
an event that was perennial
4. A)
B)
C)
D)
NO CHANGE
the most favored professional
top professionals
professionals who were tops
5. A)
B)
C)
D)
NO CHANGE
was an maverick
were mavericks
was maverick
6. A)
B)
C)
D)
NO CHANGE
an outcasts
outcasts
a outcast
7. A)
B)
C)
D)
NO CHANGE
women’s wardrobes
woman’s wardrobe
woman’s wardrobes
College Readiness Vocabulary
Definitions
1. commodious (kuh MO dee us)
Definition: affording ample space and room; adapted to or suitable for use
Synonyms: capacious, ample, serviceable
Derivatives: commodiously, commodiousness, commodity
The house offered several commodious rooms, perfect for the growing family.
2. declivity (deh KLIV uh tee)
Definition: downward slope
Synonyms: declination, descent
Derivatives: declivous, declivitous
The declivity of her health is likely due to her constant disregard for her body.
3. diatribe (DIE uh tribe)
Definition: bitter denunciation or criticism, anathema
Synonyms: castigation, invective, harangue, tirade
Derivatives: diatribes
We were tired of listening to his endless diatribes; we finally asked him to withhold his feelings.
4. dither (DITH ur)
Definition: a state of trembling excitement or fear; vacillation; a trembling; vibration
Synonyms: agitation, clamor, fluster, fuss
Derivatives: dithered, dithering, dithery
If you are ever face-to-face with a bear, it is important not to dither or show your fear.
5. fanaticism (fuh NAT eh siz um)
Definition: enthusiasm or zeal that is excessively irrational
Synonyms: devotion, dogma, infatuation, passion, tenacity, zealotry
Derivatives: fanatical, fanatic, fanatically, fanaticalness
The political fraction's fanaticism was well-known for provoking public outbursts and riots.
6. forestalled (fore STAWLD)
Definition: prevented or delayed beforehand
Synonyms: anticipated, averted, hindered, precluded, thwarted
Derivatives: forestall, forestaller, forestallment
Her progress was forestalled by weeks of bad weather.
7. frenetic (fruh NET ik)
Definition: frenzied, frantic
Synonyms: distraught, overwrought, rabid, unbalanced
Derivatives: frenetically, frenetical
Speaking in a frenetic manner, the caller tried to explain his emergency to the 911 operator.
8. grisly (GRIS lee)
Definition: ghastly, inspiring fear
Synonyms: gruesome, lurid, macabre
Derivatives: grisliness, grisliest
The wolf drew back its lips, revealing a grisly set of fangs.
9. indigent (IN deh junt)
Definition: very poor, impoverished
Synonyms: destitute, impecunious
Derivatives: indigence, indigently
In their bid for the Olympic games, the officials tried to hide the poor conditions of their indigent population.
10. jaunty (JON tee)
Definition: stylish and lively in manner or appearance
Synonyms: animated, buoyant, dapper, dashing, impish, playful, swaggering
Derivatives: jauntily, jauntiness, jauntingly
He was most memorable for always wearing a jaunty hat and matching tie.
College Readiness Vocabulary
Definitions
11. kudos (KOO doze)
Definition: awards or honors
Synonyms: acclaim, credit, distinction, honor, laudation, praise, raves
Derivatives: kudize, kudized, kudizing
She was appreciative of the kudos her co-workers gave her for going above and beyond her duties.
12. maverick (MAV er ik)
Definition: an independent individual who does not go along with the group
Synonyms: beatnik, bohemian, nonconformist, radical
Derivatives:
At the beginning of the 20th century, women who supported suffrage were seen as mavericks.
13. mutinous (MYOOT un us)
Definition: rebellious, unruly
Synonyms: anarchistic, dissident, insurrectionary, rebel
Derivatives: mutiny, mutinously, mutinousness, mutinize, mutinies
Mutinous sailors were often punished by death in the 1800s.
14. perennial (puh REN ee ul)
Definition: lasting for many years
Synonyms: constant, incessant, perpetual, unremitting
Derivatives: perennially
Many people enjoy having perennials in their garden to save them from having to replant every year.
15. Philistine (FILL eh steen)
Definition: a narrow-minded person who opposes or is indifferent to cultural values
Synonyms: boorish, crude, immodest, obscene, scatological, uncouth, unrefined, vulgar
Derivatives: Philistinic, Philistinism
The film critic was labeled a Philistine after his harsh panning of the movie.
16. precipice (PRES uh pis)
Definition: a very steep cliff or mass of rock, the brink of something dangerous
Synonyms: bluff, cliff, crag
Derivatives: precipices
He was on the precipice of disaster when he entered the courtroom without good counsel.
17. rectitude (REK teh tood)
Definition: state of moral integrity
Synonyms: decency, goodness, integrity, morality, virtue
Derivatives: rectitudinous, rectitudinously
In public, the senator always portrayed an image of complete rectitude and decency.
18. sanguine (SANG gwin)
Definition: very confident
Synonyms: optimistic, hopeful, sure
Derivatives: sanguineness,sanguineous, sanguinary
Off the field she was quite shy, but once she stepped onto the soccer field, her every movement was sanguine.
19. staid (STADE)
Definition: reserved and upright in manner or behavior, sedate
Synonyms: earnest, grave, sober, solemn
Derivatives: staidness
Our boss's staid personality was sometimes interrupted by bursts of humor.
20. verdant (VUR dunt)
Definition: fresh and green
Synonyms: flourishing, fresh, grassy, leafy, lush, verdurous
Derivatives: verdancy
The verdant hills of the British isles is a huge draw for tourists.
College Readiness Vocabulary
Matching Test
Directions: Match the vocabulary word to its definition.
Practice 1
_____________1.
commodious
a.
bitter denunciation or criticism, anathama
_____________2.
declivity
b.
frenzied, frantic
_____________3.
diatribe
c.
affording ample space and room
_____________4.
dither
d.
a state of trembling excitement or fear
_____________5.
fanaticism
e.
stylish and lively in manner or appearance
_____________6.
forestalled
f.
prevented or delayed beforehand
_____________7.
frenetic
g.
very poor, impoverished
_____________8.
grisly
h.
downward slope
_____________9.
indigent
i.
ghastly, inspiring fear
_____________10.
jaunty
j.
enthusiasm that is excessively irrational
_____________11
kudos
k.
one who does not go along with the group
_____________12.
maverick
l.
fresh and green
_____________13.
mutinous
m.
lasting for many years
_____________14.
perennial
n.
the brink of something dangerous
_____________15.
Philistine
o.
very confident
_____________16.
precipice
p.
rebellious, unruly
_____________17.
rectitude
q.
reserved and upright in manner or behavior
_____________18.
sanguine
r.
a state of moral integrity
_____________19.
staid
s.
awards or honors
_____________20.
verdant
t.
a narrow-minded person indifferent to
Practice 2
cultural values
College Readiness Vocabulary
Multiple Choice Test
Directions: Find the correct vocabulary word that fits the definition.
_____________1.
fresh and green
a. commodious b.
_____________2.
d.
dither
e.
precipice
b.
jaunty
d.
staid
e.
verdant
mutinous
c.
b. commodious
c.
frenetic
d.
sanguine
e.
grisly
b.
c.
jaunty
d.
indigent
e.
mutinous
sanguine
b.
Philistine
c.
precipice
d.
rectitude
e.
dither
b.
sanguine
c.
commodious
d.
mutinous
e.
staid
b.
frenetic
c.
jaunty
d.
kudos
e.
perennial
b.
kudos
c.
precipice
d.
dither
e.
Philistine
b.
indigent
c.
commodious
d.
precipice
e.
dither
b.
maverick
d.
kudos
e.
rectitude
indigent
e.
mutinous
diatribe
c.
affording ample space and room; adapted to or suitable for use
a. verdant
_____________13.
declivity
bitter denunciation or criticism, anathema
a. precipice
_____________12.
c.
very poor, impoverished
a. staid
_____________11.
Philistine
a narrow-minded person who opposes or is indifferent to cultural values
a. declivity
_____________10.
b.
awards or honors
a. verdant
_____________9.
perennial
rebellious, unruly
a. indigent
_____________8.
e.
a state of trembling excitement or fear; vacillation; a trembling; vibration
a. declivity
_____________7.
indigent
frenzied, frantic
a. frenetic
_____________6.
d.
reserved and upright in manner or behavior, sedate
a. staid
_____________5.
grisly
stylish and lively in manner or appearance
a. perennial
_____________4.
c.
downward slope
a. rectitude
_____________3.
verdant
b.
grisly
c.
commodious
d.
a very steep cliff or mass of rock, the brink of something dangerous
a. precipice
b.
diatribe
c.
kudos
d.
maverick
e.
dither
Philistine
c.
precipice
d.
dither
e.
rectitude
frenetic
c.
verdant
d.
sanguine
e.
perennial
_____________14. state of moral integrity
a. declivity
_____________15.
b.
very confident
a. commodious b.
College Readiness Vocabulary
Sentence Completion Test
Directions: Find the correct word from the box below to complete the sentences that follow.
Exercise A
commodious
forestalled
declivity
frenetic
diatribe
grisly
dither
indigent
fanaticism
jaunty
______________ 1.
After weeks in a cramped hotel room, I was grateful for the _________ space of my house.
______________ 2.
The lightning storm worked the horses into a ________; it took an hour to calm them down.
______________ 3.
Her bitter ________ was intended to criticize the organization that caused the loss of her job.
______________ 4.
The _______ of the mountainside made it impossible to climb; we couldn’t overcome the slope.
______________ 5.
English soccer supporters' ___________ has gotten them banned from games because their
enthusiasm often turns to violence.
______________ 6.
The ants worked at a _______ speeed as they frantically tried to rebuild their nest.
______________ 7.
The newsman who reported the _______ murder shocked everyone with the ghastly details.
______________ 8.
Although the blown tire __________ our trip, we were still able to arrive in good time.
______________ 9.
The model wore her______ fashion with flair, knowing she was the most stylish on the runway.
_____________ 10.
The Salvation Army is a charity that helps _________ people as well as those temporarily down
on their luck.
Exercise B
kudos
precipice
maverick
rectitude
mutinous
sanguine
perennial
staid
Philistine
verdant
______________ 11.
The __________ saw little value in understanding the cultural values of those around him.
______________ 12.
The daredevil took a running dive off the __________ and into the lake far beneath.
______________ 13.
Sam was often called a ________, since he was never willing to go along with the group.
______________ 14.
__________ are in order for the job well done; you certainly deserve congratulations.
______________ 15.
I prefer not to use chemicals to kill weeds, as they destroy the _______ nature of the grass.
______________ 16.
His ____________visits to our house were something we looked forward to each year.
______________ 17.
The __________ students rebelled against the dress code imposed by their new principal.
______________ 18.
My father struggled to maintain a _______ composure, but our goofy antics forced him to
laugh heartily.
______________ 19.
The man had no moral ______: he frequently showed that he was lacking in integrity.
______________ 20.
Even in the face of adversity, her ________ attitude was apparent; she always remained
optimistic and confident.
Answers for Noun-Noun Agreement
Let’s Practice – Noun / Noun Agreement
consultants
1.
examples
2.
managers
3.
anthropologists
4.
experiments
5.
intellectuals
6.
examples
politicians
7.
8.
Many of Clara’s business associates are unhappy with their current positions and are
studying to be a financial consultant.
Dieting and exercising are an example of ways a person can go about losing weight
effectively.
Many of the responsibilities of Bob and Jerry as a manager of the stores can be delegated
to their employees.
After taking several classes together, both Tom and Allisa decided to become an
anthropologist after graduation.
The problems we identified in the data resulted from the experiment of three different
laboratories.
Because of their past contributions to the scientific community, those professors are
generally considered to be the nation’s top intellectual.
Football and baseball are an example of America’s most favored spectator sports.
The popularity of Allen and Anthony as a politician can be ascribed to the intensified
efforts of the group of supporters behind them.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Passage Based Testing
1.
c
2. d
3. b
4. c
5. a
6. c
7. b
_________________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Matching Test Answers
1. c
2. h
3. a
4. d
5. j
6. f
7. b
8. i
9. g
11. s
12. k
13. p
14. m
15. t
16. n
17. r
18. o
19. q
_____________________________________________________________________________
10. e
20. l
Vocabulary Multiple-Choice Tests Answers
1. b
2. c
3. c
4. a
5. a
6. e
7. d
8. d
9. d
11. b
12. c
13. a
14. e
15. d
______________________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary Sentence Completion Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
commodious
dither
diatribe
declivity
fanaticism
frenetic
grisly
forestalled
jaunty
indigent
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Philistine
precipice
maverick
kudos
verdant
perennial
mutinous
staid
rectitude
sanguine
10. b