The restoration of the cathedral's historic fresco had proceeded smoothly for months. Neither the volunteers nor the lead conservationist, who was accompanied by several museum directors, were prepared for the sudden deterioration of the plaster. Fortunately, a specialist from the national museum was called in to assess the damage before any permanent loss occurred.
Which choice best fits the underlined portion of the passage?
- ANO CHANGE
- wasAnswer
- Cis
- Dhave been
Answer
was
The correct choice is 'was'. When compound subjects are joined by 'neither... nor', the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. In this sentence, the closer subject is 'the lead conservationist', which is singular. The relative clause 'who was accompanied by several museum directors' separates the subject from the verb and contains the plural noun 'museum directors', but this parenthetical description does not change the fact that 'the lead conservationist' is the singular subject. Therefore, the singular past-tense verb 'was' is required to agree with the subject and maintain tense consistency with the rest of the passage.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Subject-Verb Agreement with Compound Subjects and Intervening Phrases