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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

More than one candidate _______ failed the preliminary screening exercise conducted by the board. Which of the options correctly completes the sentence?

  1. hasAnswer
  2. B
    have
  3. C
    are
  4. D
    were

Answer

The correct verb form is 'has'.
The expression 'more than one' followed by a singular countable noun ('candidate') strictly requires a singular verb according to the rules of grammatical concord. Therefore, the singular present perfect auxiliary 'has' is correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject structural pattern in the sentence.
The subject structure begins with the quantifier phrase 'More than one' modifying the singular noun 'candidate'.
Determining the head subject structure dictates whether a singular or plural verb is grammatically required.
2
Apply the specific rule of grammatical concord for 'more than one'.
'More than one' followed directly by a singular noun takes a singular verb.
Although semantically 'more than one' implies a plural quantity, formal English syntax requires agreement with the singular noun 'candidate'.
3
Select the correct singular auxiliary verb to form the present perfect tense.
'has' completes the phrase correctly as 'has failed'.
'has' is singular present perfect, agreeing perfectly with 'More than one candidate'.

Key Concept

Concord with 'More than one'
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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