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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

Read the sentence below. Which form of the verb in parentheses correctly completes the sentence to maintain proper subject-verb agreement?

Answer:The seasonal migration of monarch butterflies, which spans thousands of miles across North America, 【intrigues】 (intrigue) researchers studying insect navigation.

Answer

intrigues
The correct form is 'intrigues'. The subject of the sentence is the singular noun 'migration'. The prepositional phrase 'of monarch butterflies' and the relative clause 'which spans thousands of miles across North America' are intervening modifiers that do not affect the subject's number. A singular subject requires a singular verb, which in the present tense is 'intrigues'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main subject of the clause containing the verb to be filled.
The subject is the singular noun phrase 'The seasonal migration'.
The plural nouns 'butterflies' and 'miles' are part of intervening phrases ('of monarch butterflies' and 'which spans thousands of miles') and do not function as the subject of the main verb.
2
Determine the number of the subject (singular or plural).
The subject 'migration' is singular.
Finding the head noun of the subject phrase shows it is singular, meaning it requires a singular verb.
3
Select the correct present-tense singular form of the verb 'intrigue'.
The correct form is 'intrigues'.
In the present tense, third-person singular verbs end in '-s'.

Key Concept

Subject-verb agreement requires a singular verb for a singular subject, even when intervening prepositional phrases or relative clauses contain plural nouns.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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