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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Beyond the boundary of the main university campus _____ two state-of-the-art research laboratories financed by the alumni association. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

  1. lieAnswer
  2. B
    lies
  3. C
    is lying
  4. D
    has lain

Answer

The verb form 'lie' is correct because the subject of the sentence ('two state-of-the-art research laboratories') is plural and follows the verb in an inverted sentence structure.
In sentences with inverted word order introduced by a prepositional phrase of location, the grammatical subject appears after the verb. The true subject of the clause is 'two state-of-the-art research laboratories', which is plural and therefore requires the plural verb 'lie'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence structure to identify the grammatical subject
The sentence begins with an adverbial prepositional phrase of place ('Beyond the boundary of the main university campus'), indicating an inverted sentence structure where the subject follows the verb.
In English syntax, when a sentence opens with a locative prepositional phrase, the verb frequently precedes the subject.
2
Determine the number (singular or plural) of the true head noun
The subject is 'two state-of-the-art research laboratories', which is plural.
The noun 'campus' is part of the prepositional phrase and is not the subject performing/undergoing the verb.
3
Select the verb form that agrees in number with the plural subject
The plural present tense verb 'lie' correctly agrees with 'laboratories'.
Plural subjects require plural verbs without the '-s' suffix in the simple present tense.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Concord in Inverted Sentence Structures
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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