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Fixing Agreement Errors in Work Messages: correct answers

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Tricky Subjects: Companies, Products, and Lists

In workplace communication, it is easy to get confused about whether a subject is singular or plural. A common rule to remember is that companies and software products are treated as single entities, even if their names sound plural or represent a group of people. They always take a singular verb.

✅ TechCorp needs to approve the changes. ❌ TechCorp need to approve the changes.

Similarly, watch out for phrases that contain prepositional phrases, like "one of the..." or "the list of...". The verb must agree with the true subject ("one" or "list"), not the plural noun right next to it ("endpoints" or "issues").

✅ One of the new endpoints is failing. ❌ One of the new endpoints are failing.

✅ The list of issues is getting shorter. ❌ The list of issues are getting shorter.

"There is" vs. "There are" in Updates

When you start a sentence with "there," the true subject actually comes after the verb. This means you have to look ahead in the sentence to decide whether to use is or are.

If the noun following the verb is plural, you must use are. A very common mistake in spoken English and quick chat messages is using "there's" (there is) for everything. In professional writing, you need to match them correctly.

✅ There are several bugs left to fix. ❌ There's several bugs left to fix.

✅ There is a critical bug in the gateway. ❌ There are a critical bug in the gateway.

Pronoun Pitfalls: I, Me, and Myself

When you are talking about yourself and a coworker, it can be hard to know whether to use I, me, or myself.

Use I when you and your colleague are the subjects doing the action. A great trick is to remove your colleague's name from the sentence—if it still makes sense with "I", you have chosen correctly.

✅ Raj and I are investigating the timeout errors. ❌ Raj and me are investigating the timeout errors.

Use me when you are the object receiving the action, such as after a verb or a preposition (like to, for, or with).

✅ Please send the updated files to Sarah and me. ❌ Please send the updated files to Sarah and I.

A Common Mistake: Overusing "Myself" Many professionals use "myself" because they think it sounds more polite or formal than "me." However, "myself" is a reflexive pronoun. You should only use it if you have already used "I" in the same sentence (e.g., I will fix it myself). Do not use it as a substitute for "me."

✅ If you need access, please contact me. ❌ If you need access, please contact myself.

MediumB1 | IntermediateB1B2 | Upper IntermediateB2NounObjectPhrasePrepositionPresent tensePronounSentenceSubjectVerbPerfect tenseProgressive tenseSimple tense

Correct answers

Question 1

Help the project manager choose the correct sentence for the daily standup notes.

The correct answer is The list of bugs has been updated, so please contact me if you need access.

The subject of the first clause is "list," which is singular, so it takes the singular verb has (even though it contains plural "bugs").

In the second clause, the verb "contact" requires an object pronoun (me). Using "myself" is a common workplace mistake; reflexive pronouns should only be used when the subject and object are the same person (e.g., "I saw myself").

Question 2

You are reviewing ticket updates before a sprint planning meeting. Select ALL the grammatically correct updates that apply.

The correct answers are The list of issues is getting shorter. The new endpoints have resolved the timeout errors. and David and I are testing the API. AcmeCorp needs the results by Friday.

Let's look at why the other options have bugs of their own:

  • "The list of issues" takes a singular verb (is) because the true subject is "list," not "issues."
  • "The new endpoints" is plural, so it requires a plural verb (have).
  • "David and I" form a compound subject. Never use myself as part of a subject.
  • "AcmeCorp" is a single company, so it takes a singular verb (needs).

Question 3

Complete this IT support ticket response by dragging the correct words into the blanks.

The list of issues is quite long, but the endpoints have finally started responding. If you need further assistance, please contact the support team or me directly.

The list of issues is quite long, but the endpoints have finally started responding. If you need further assistance, please contact the support team or me directly.

The list... is: The true subject of the clause is the singular noun "list", not the plural prepositional object "issues". Therefore, it takes a singular verb.

endpoints have: Plural nouns take plural verbs.

contact... me: The verb "contact" requires an object pronoun ("me"). "Myself" is a reflexive pronoun and is only used when the subject and the object are the same person (e.g., "I accidentally emailed myself").

Question 4

Help the project manager spot the correctly written daily standup notes! Select ALL the options that apply.

The correct answers are The team is deploying the hotfix now. There are several bugs left to fix. and Nadia and I reviewed the code. One of the modules is missing.

Keep these common workplace grammar fixes in mind:

  • "There are" must be used before a plural noun phrase (several bugs). In fast speech, people often say "there's" for everything, but in writing, it's incorrect before a plural noun.
  • "Nadia and I" is correct because they are the subject doing the action. ("Me" is an object pronoun.)
  • "One of the modules" takes a singular verb (is) because the subject is the singular word "one."
  • "The team" is a collective noun. In American English and international business English, it usually takes a singular verb (is) when acting as a single unit.

Question 5

Select the grammatically correct sentence to include in your client email.

The correct answer is TechCorp needs to approve the changes because there are several security risks.

Company and product names (like TechCorp) take a singular verb, so we use needs.

When using "there is/are," the verb must agree with the noun that follows it. Since "several security risks" is plural, we must use there are instead of "there's" (there is).

Question 6

Help the stressed project manager proofread his team chat message before the big client launch.
"Hey everyone! TechNova _________________________ a status update by noon. Right now, there _________________________ a few critical bugs in the payment gateway, and one of the backup servers _________________________ completely offline. Please send the error logs to Sarah and _________________________ as soon as possible so we can investigate."

Here are the rules for these common workplace grammar fixes:

  • needs: Company and product names (like TechNova) act as singular nouns, so they take singular verbs.
  • are: In "there is/are" sentences, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it (a few critical bugs is plural).
  • is: The phrase "one of the [plural noun]" takes a singular verb because the true subject is one, not servers.
  • me: Use object pronouns (like me, not I or myself) after prepositions like "to." A good trick is to remove "Sarah and" to see what sounds right ("send the logs to me").

Question 7

Help the project manager fix the grammar in this team chat update by dragging the correct words into the blanks.

ClientCorp needs the updated files, so Sarah and I are going to work late. Also, there are a few new bugs in the backlog.

ClientCorp needs the updated files, so Sarah and I are going to work late. Also, there are a few new bugs in the backlog.

ClientCorp needs: Company names act as a single entity and take a singular verb.

Sarah and I: In a compound subject performing an action, use the subject pronoun "I", not the object pronoun "me" or the reflexive "myself".

there are: When a sentence starts with "there", the verb agrees with the noun that follows it. "A few new bugs" is plural, which requires the plural verb "are".

Question 8

Review the lead engineer's ticket update and select the grammatically correct options to keep the project log professional.
"Raj and _________________________ finally fixed the login timeout issue. The new API endpoints _________________________ been tested thoroughly. Fortunately, the list of pending tickets _________________________ getting much shorter. The security team _________________________ already given its final approval for deployment."

Here is a breakdown of why these options are correct:

  • I: "Raj and I" form a compound subject. You need the subject pronoun I. (Tip: Remove "Raj and" to test it—you would say "I finally fixed," not "me finally fixed" or "myself finally fixed").
  • have: Endpoints is a standard plural noun, so it requires the plural verb have.
  • is: In the phrase "the list of pending tickets," the core subject is the singular word list, not tickets. Therefore, it takes the singular verb is.
  • has: While collective nouns like team can sometimes take plural verbs in UK English, the use of the singular pronoun "its" later in the sentence ("its final approval") means you must use the singular verb has to maintain agreement.

Question 9

Choose the grammatically correct chat message to send to your engineering team.

The correct answer is One of the new endpoints is failing, so Raj and I are investigating.

The phrase "one of the [plural noun]" requires a singular verb because the true subject is "one" (one... is).

For the compound subject, you need the subject pronoun "I" (Raj and I), not the object pronoun "me" or the reflexive pronoun "myself."

Question 10

You are reviewing some draft Slack messages before sending them to your engineering channel. Select ALL the grammatically correct messages that apply.

The correct answers are TechFlow requires an update. One of the servers is down, so please contact me. and Sarah and I checked the logs. There are two errors that need fixing.

Here is a breakdown of the rules to remember for work messages:

  • Company and product names (like TechFlow) take a singular verb (requires).
  • "One of the..." is always followed by a singular verb (is down), because the subject is "one," not the plural noun that follows it.
  • Use "me" as an object (contact me); avoid using myself unless you've already used I in the same sentence as the subject.
  • Use "I" in a compound subject (Sarah and I).
  • Use "there are" for plural nouns (there are two errors), not there's.
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