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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Fill in the blank with the grammatically correct verb form to complete the sentence in line with the rules of concord.

Answer:During the final stage of the trial, the jury 【were】 divided in their individual assessments of the forensic evidence.

Answer

The correct verb form to complete the sentence is 'were'.
The verb 'were' is correct because the sentence invokes the principle of notional concord (noun of multitude). The clues 'their' and 'individual assessments' show that the members of the jury are acting independently rather than as one unified entity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the sentence and determine its grammatical nature.
The subject is the collective noun 'the jury'.
Understanding whether the collective noun operates as a unified body or as individual members determines verb agreement.
2
Analyze contextual clues in the sentence to determine if the collective noun acts individually or collectively.
The presence of the plural possessive pronoun 'their' and the phrase 'individual assessments' indicates that the members are acting separately.
Under the rule of notional concord (noun of multitude), when members of a collective noun act as individuals, a plural verb is required.
3
Select the correct tense and number for the verb.
The past tense plural auxiliary verb 'were' correctly completes the sentence.
'Were' matches the past context of the trial and agrees in plural number with the individual members of the jury.

Key Concept

Noun of Multitude / Notional Concord
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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