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Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

A number of critical vulnerabilities in the new software system _______ brought to the attention of the lead developer during yesterday's security audit. Which option correctly completes the sentence?

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

Answer

were
The expression 'a number of' acts as a plural quantifier meaning 'many' or 'several', which grammatically requires a plural verb. Because the action occurred in the past ('yesterday's security audit'), the plural past-tense verb 'were' is the correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head noun expression establishing subject-verb concord.
The subject begins with the indefinite quantifier expression 'a number of'.
In standard English concord rules, 'a number of' functions as a plural determiner meaning 'several' or 'many' and takes a plural verb.
2
Determine the required tense and number for the verb.
The temporal context 'yesterday's security audit' requires a past-tense verb, and plural concord requires 'were'.
Combining plural agreement with past-tense context yields 'were'.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with 'A number of' vs 'The number of'
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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