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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

Read the passage below about cognitive neuroscience. Fill in the blank with the correct present-tense form of the verb 'suggest' that agrees with the subject of the sentence.

Answer:The study of mirror neurons, which fire both when an animal performs an action and when the animal observes the same action performed by another, has revolutionized our understanding of empathy. The discovery of these specialized brain cells, along with subsequent research in cognitive neuroscience, 【suggests】 that humans are neurologically wired to connect with others.

Answer

suggests
The correct verb form is 'suggests' because the subject is the singular noun 'discovery'. Intervening prepositional phrases like 'of these specialized brain cells' and parenthetical phrases beginning with 'along with' do not affect the grammatical number of the subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the clause containing the blank.
The subject is the singular noun 'discovery'.
The verb must agree in number with its true subject, not with nearby nouns in modifying phrases.
2
Analyze any intervening phrases between the subject and the verb.
The phrases 'of these specialized brain cells' and 'along with subsequent research in cognitive neuroscience' modify the noun 'discovery'.
Prepositional phrases and additive expressions (such as 'along with', 'as well as', or 'in addition to') do not change the number of the subject and do not create a compound subject.
3
Determine the correct verb form for a singular subject in the present tense.
The third-person singular present form of the verb 'suggest' is 'suggests'.
Singular subjects require singular verbs, which end in '-s' in the present tense.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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