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Question

Difficulty: EasySubject-Verb Agreement

The following passage is about gallery design. Which present-tense form of the verb 'present' should be typed in the blank to ensure proper subject-verb agreement?

Answer:The curation of contemporary art exhibits requires careful planning. Each of the new gallery spaces 【presents】 unique challenges for the lighting design team.

Answer

presents
The singular indefinite pronoun 'Each' acts as the subject of the sentence, which requires the singular verb form 'presents'. The plural noun 'spaces' is part of the prepositional phrase 'of the new gallery spaces' and does not affect the agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the clause.
The subject is the indefinite pronoun 'Each'.
The verb must agree in number with its subject rather than any nouns in modifying phrases.
2
Determine if the subject is singular or plural.
The pronoun 'Each' is singular.
Indefinite pronouns such as 'each', 'either', and 'everyone' are grammatically singular.
3
Disregard any intervening phrases between the subject and the verb.
The prepositional phrase 'of the new gallery spaces' modifies the subject but does not change its grammatical number.
Intervening phrases often contain plural nouns that can mislead readers into choosing a plural verb.
4
Select the correct singular present-tense form of the verb.
The correct form is 'presents'.
A singular subject requires a singular verb ending in '-s' in the present tense.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Singular Indefinite Pronouns and Intervening Phrases
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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