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Difficulty: MediumConjunctions and Clause Structure

In the sentence below, which option correctly completes the relative clause structure?

"Dr. Adebayo is one of the distinguished economists who ________ selected to present a paper at the international summit."

  1. wereAnswer
  2. B
    was
  3. C
    has been
  4. D
    is

Answer

were
The relative pronoun 'who' introduces a relative clause modifying the plural noun 'economists'. Because the antecedent is plural, the verb governed by 'who' must also be plural ('were').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relative clause and its antecedent subject.
The relative clause is introduced by the relative pronoun 'who', which refers back to the plural noun phrase 'distinguished economists'.
In the construction 'one of the [plural noun] who...', the relative pronoun modifies the plural noun that immediately precedes it, not the singular pronoun 'one'.
2
Determine the appropriate grammatical number for the verb within the clause.
Since the antecedent 'economists' is plural, the relative pronoun 'who' functions as a plural subject and requires a plural verb.
Subject-verb agreement within a relative clause must match the grammatical number of its antecedent.
3
Select the option containing the plural verb form.
'were' is the correct plural past tense verb form.
'was', 'has been', and 'is' are all singular verb forms and violate plural agreement in this relative clause structure.

Key Concept

Relative Clause Structure and Antecedent Concord
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Conjunctions and Clause Structure

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