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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

In modern city planning, the design of sustainable skyscrapers helps reduce a city's carbon footprint. The vertical gardens on these structures, in addition to acting as a natural air filter, creates a cooling effect in dense urban areas.

Which of the following is the correct form of the bolded word 'creates'?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. createAnswer
  3. C
    has created
  4. D
    created

Answer

create
The correct answer is the plural present-tense verb 'create' because it agrees with the plural subject 'gardens'. The intervening phrases 'on these structures' and 'in addition to acting as a natural air filter' separate the subject from the verb but do not change the subject's plural nature.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the subject of the clause containing the bolded verb.
The subject is the plural noun 'gardens'.
The prepositional phrase 'on these structures' and the parenthetical phrase 'in addition to acting as a natural air filter' are intervening modifiers and do not affect the number of the subject.
2
Match the verb form to the plural subject 'gardens' to ensure subject-verb agreement.
The verb must be in its plural present-tense form, which is 'create'.
Plural subjects require plural verbs (e.g., 'gardens create'), whereas singular subjects require singular verbs (e.g., 'garden creates').
3
Check the surrounding context to verify tense consistency.
The first sentence uses the present-tense verb 'helps', confirming that the paragraph is written in the present tense.
To maintain tense consistency, the verb should remain in the present tense rather than shifting to the past tense.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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