Question

: Choose the correct verb forms. 1. Every adult and child was/were willing to wait for hours until the ticket box office opened. 2. At the entrance to the exhibition hall was/were a crowd of eager merchants. 3. Sara or Mike is/are opening the sales meeting tomorrow. 4. Either Will or his agents is/are in the office now. 5. On the shelves was/were several paint cans. 6. One of the workshop presenters has/have laryngitis. 7.Our CEO, along with his administrative assistant, has/have arrived early for the review session. 8. Carlos or the Miranda sisters is/are helping set up the audiovisual equipment. 9. The government publish/publishes a great deal of printed material. 10.In this corner of our lobby stand/stands a group of statues used in a promotion film. 11. One of my classmates was/were promoted at work today. 12. Our best friends, along with their mother, is/are moving to Australia. 13. The family has/have decided that it is time to have a garage sale. 14. Either lilacs or lilies is/are going to look beautiful in the arrangement. 15. Not only the oatmeal cookies but also the birthday cake was/were burned.

Answer 1

1. Were.
2. was.
3. Are.
4. Are.
5. Were.
6. Has.
7. Has.
8. Are.
9. Publishes.
10. Stands.
11. Was.
12. Are.
13. Has.
14. Are.
15. Was.

Answer 2

1. Every adult and child was willing to wait for hours until the ticket box office opened.  ("Every" makes it singular, and you need "was")

2. At the entrance to the exhibition hall was a crowd of eager merchants.

3. Sara or Mike  is opening the sales meeting tomorrow.

4. Either Will or his agents  are in the office now.

5. On the shelves were several paint cans.

6. One of the workshop presenters has laryngitis.

7. Our CEO, along with his administrative assistant, has arrived early for the review session.

8. Carlos or the Miranda sisters  are helping set up the audiovisual equipment.

9. The government  publishes a great deal of printed material.  

10. In this corner of our lobby stands a group of statues used in a promotion film.

11. One of my classmates was promoted at work today.

12. Our best friends, along with their mother, are moving to Australia.

13. The family  has decided that it is time to have a garage sale.

14. Either lilacs or lilies  are going to look beautiful in the arrangement.

15. Not only the oatmeal cookies but also the birthday cake  was burned.  

Collective nouns, such as crowd, group, government, family, normally take a singular verb in American English. In British English, collective nouns can take plural verbs.