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Difficulty: Very hardSubject-Verb Agreement

Historically, communities in arid climates have struggled to secure reliable water sources. Among the most remarkable achievements of ancient engineering, the network of subterranean aqueducts known as qanats, which was developed in Persia thousands of years ago, still supply water to communities in modern-day Iran. By tapping into mountain aquifers, these systems deliver water entirely by gravity.

Which option is the correct form of the underlined verb in the passage?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. suppliesAnswer
  3. C
    supplying
  4. D
    are supplying

Answer

supplies
The singular verb 'supplies' is correct because the subject of the clause is 'network', which is singular. The plural nouns 'aqueducts' and 'qanats' are object nouns within modifying phrases and do not affect the subject-verb agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the verb in question.
The subject is the singular noun 'network'.
To ensure correct subject-verb agreement, we must locate the noun that performs the action.
2
Analyze intervening phrases and clauses to avoid distractor nouns.
Phrases like 'of subterranean aqueducts', 'known as qanats', and the clause 'which was developed...' contain plural nouns ('aqueducts', 'qanats', 'years'), but they are modifier phrases that do not change the singular nature of the subject 'network'.
Identifying modifier phrases prevents matching the verb to nearby plural nouns instead of the actual subject.
3
Select the verb form that matches the singular subject in the present tense.
The singular verb form is 'supplies'.
A singular subject requires a singular verb form to maintain proper grammatical agreement.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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