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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Which of the following options correctly completes the sentence below?

More than one applicant _____ shortlisted for the final interview round last week.

  1. wasAnswer
  2. B
    were
  3. C
    have been
  4. D
    are

Answer

The singular verb 'was' correctly completes the sentence.
The expression 'more than one' is followed by a singular countable noun ('applicant') and structurally requires a singular verb. The past tense marker 'last week' further dictates the past singular auxiliary verb 'was'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject structure of the sentence.
The subject phrase begins with the quantifier structure 'More than one applicant'.
Determining the grammatical head word and structure governs verb agreement.
2
Apply the grammatical concord rule for 'more than one'.
In formal English concord, 'more than one' followed by a singular countable noun requires a singular verb.
Although the semantic meaning implies multiple people, formal agreement depends on the singular noun form 'applicant'.
3
Select the verb option that reflects past tense and singular agreement.
The verb form 'was' satisfies both singular agreement and past tense context established by 'last week'.
'was' is the only singular past-tense option offered.

Key Concept

Concord with 'More than one'
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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