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Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

Historically, the cultivation of heirloom crops, which preserves genetic diversity and offers unique flavor profiles, have gained popularity among modern organic farmers.

Which choice correctly completes the underlined portion of the sentence to maintain proper subject-verb agreement?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. has gainedAnswer
  3. C
    gaining
  4. D
    were gaining

Answer

The correct option is 'has gained' because it is a singular verb that agrees with the singular subject 'cultivation'.
The singular verb 'has gained' agrees with the singular subject 'cultivation'. The plural noun 'crops' and the intervening relative clause do not affect the singular status of the main subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the true subject of the main clause.
The subject of the main verb is 'cultivation'.
The singular noun 'cultivation' is the head of the subject phrase. The subsequent plural noun 'crops' is object of the preposition 'of', and the relative clause starting with 'which' merely describes the crops, not altering the grammatical number of 'cultivation'.
2
Determine the number (singular or plural) of the subject.
The subject 'cultivation' is singular.
It refers to a single activity, which requires a singular verb form.
3
Select the verb option that matches the subject in number and forms a complete sentence.
The singular verb 'has gained' is correct.
The other options are either plural ('NO CHANGE' / 'have gained' and 'were gaining') or fail to provide a complete predicate ('gaining').

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Modifiers
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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