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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

Read the passage below and write the correct present-tense form of the verb 'to be' in the blank to ensure proper subject-verb agreement.

Answer:A crucial collection of letters written by the nineteenth-century botanist, which contains detailed illustrations of native wildflowers, 【is】 now available for public viewing at the library.

Answer

is
The singular verb 'is' matches the singular subject 'collection'. The noun 'collection' remains singular despite being followed by the plural modifier 'of letters' and the relative clause containing 'illustrations' and 'wildflowers'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the verb blank and trace backward to find the true subject of the clause.
The subject is the noun phrase 'A crucial collection'.
The words following 'collection' are modifying phrases: 'of letters' is a prepositional phrase, 'written by the nineteenth-century botanist' is a participial phrase, and 'which contains...' is a relative clause. None of these modifiers contain the head subject of the sentence.
2
Determine if the subject is singular or plural.
The subject 'collection' is singular.
Even though it refers to a group of items (letters), the noun 'collection' itself is a singular entity.
3
Apply subject-verb agreement rules to select the correct form of 'to be' in the present tense.
The correct verb form is 'is'.
A singular subject ('collection') requires a singular verb ('is') to achieve proper agreement.

Key Concept

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

Subject-Verb Agreement

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