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Question

Difficulty: HardSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence below while maintaining proper grammatical subject-verb agreement?

Answer:The chief librarian, alongside several senior archivists, 【is】 responsible for preserving the rare manuscripts housed in the main vault.

Answer

The correct verb form to complete the sentence is 'is'.
The main subject of the sentence is the singular noun 'chief librarian'. The expression 'alongside several senior archivists' functions as an intervening prepositional modifier rather than a coordinating conjunction like 'and'. As a result, the subject remains singular and requires the singular auxiliary verb 'is'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary grammatical subject of the sentence.
The core grammatical subject is the singular noun phrase 'The chief librarian'.
Phrases introduced by quasi-conjunctions or prepositions such as 'alongside', 'together with', 'as well as', and 'in addition to' are parenthetical modifiers and do not form a compound subject.
2
Apply the rule of concord to select the appropriate verb form.
The singular subject ('chief librarian') demands a singular verb ('is').
The presence of an intervening plural noun ('senior archivists') inside a prepositional phrase must be ignored when determining subject-verb agreement.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Quasi-Conjunctions and Intervening Prepositional Phrases
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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