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Question

Difficulty: HardSubject-Verb Agreement

The passage below contains a blank where a verb should be. Read the passage and write the correct present-tense form of the verb 'to lie' that completes the sentence with proper subject-verb agreement.

Answer:In the heart of the ancient ruins, hidden beneath layers of volcanic ash and dense foliage, 【lies】 a collection of ceramic jars containing ancient scrolls.

Answer

lies
The correct answer is 'lies'. The sentence is written in an inverted structure where the subject follows the verb. The grammatical subject is the singular noun 'collection'. Thus, the singular present-tense verb 'lies' is required to ensure correct subject-verb agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The subject is the noun phrase 'a collection of ceramic jars containing ancient scrolls'.
This sentence uses an inverted structure where the verb precedes the subject. The introductory prepositional and participle phrases modify the setting, but the noun performing the action of 'lying' is 'collection'.
2
Determine the number of the subject's head noun.
The head noun 'collection' is singular.
Although the subject contains plural prepositional objects like 'jars' and 'scrolls', the head noun of the subject phrase is 'collection', which is singular.
3
Match the verb to the singular subject in the present tense.
The correct singular present-tense form of the verb 'to lie' is 'lies'.
A singular subject requires a singular verb to maintain proper subject-verb agreement.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement in Inverted Sentences
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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