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Question

Difficulty: EasySubject-Verb Agreement

The following passage is an excerpt about historical architecture.

[1] During the Middle Ages, master builders constructed massive stone cathedrals to reflect the grandeur of their faith. [2] The design of these towering structures, which often included intricate stained-glass windows and elaborate stone carvings, were carefully planned years before construction began. [3] Every detail was calculated to ensure structural stability.

Which of the following is the correct way to write the underlined word 'were' in the second sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. wasAnswer
  3. C
    is
  4. D
    being

Answer

The correct option is 'was' because the singular subject 'design' requires the singular past-tense verb 'was' to agree in number and maintain the passage's historical tense.
The correct option is 'was'. The grammatical subject of the clause is the singular noun 'design'. The prepositional phrase 'of these towering structures' and the relative clause 'which often included...' contain plural nouns, but they are intervening modifiers that do not alter the singular subject. To match 'design' and maintain the past-tense narrative established by the verbs 'constructed' and 'began', the singular past-tense verb 'was' must be used.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the verb in the underlined portion of the sentence.
The subject is 'design', which is singular. The plural nouns 'structures', 'windows', and 'carvings' are part of intervening prepositional and relative clauses and do not function as the subject.
A verb must agree in number with its true subject, not with intervening nouns in descriptive phrases.
2
Determine the correct tense and form of the verb that matches the subject.
The narrative is written in the past tense ('constructed', 'included', 'began'). Therefore, the singular past-tense verb 'was' is required to agree with 'design'.
This choice resolves the subject-verb agreement error while maintaining the tense consistency of the paragraph.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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