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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence below?

"Many a candidate _______ fallen victim to careless errors during the matriculation examination."

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

Answer

The correct verb form is 'has'.
The expression 'many a' is grammatically singular and must be followed by a singular countable noun ('candidate') and a singular verb ('has'). Therefore, 'has' correctly satisfies subject-verb concord in the present perfect tense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the subject structure
The subject structure begins with the expression 'Many a'.
In standard English grammar, the construction 'many a' is followed by a singular countable noun and requires a singular verb.
2
Determine the required grammatical agreement
The noun 'candidate' is singular, so the auxiliary verb must also be singular and compatible with the past participle 'fallen'.
The present perfect structure requires 'has' + past participle for a singular third-person subject.
3
Select the correct option
'has' fits both the singular subject rule and the perfect tense requirement.
'have', 'are', and 'were' are plural forms and break concord.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with 'Many a'
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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