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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the grammatically correct form of the verb to maintain proper subject-verb agreement.

Answer:The number of candidates registered for the national entrance examination 【has】 increased significantly over the past three years.

Answer

The correct verb form to complete the sentence is 'has'.
In English grammatical concord, the expression 'The number of' is treated as a singular subject and takes a singular verb. Therefore, the singular present perfect auxiliary verb 'has' is required to agree with 'The number'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the grammatical subject of the sentence.
The subject noun phrase is introduced by 'The number of'.
The expression 'The number of' specifies a singular quantity or unit, making the noun phrase grammatically singular.
2
Distinguish between 'The number of' and 'A number of'.
'The number of' always takes a singular verb, whereas 'A number of' takes a plural verb.
Intervening plural nouns like 'candidates' do not alter the singular grammatical requirement of 'The number of'.
3
Select the appropriate auxiliary verb for singular subject concord in the present perfect tense.
The singular auxiliary verb 'has' correctly completes 'has increased'.
The singular subject demands the singular verb form 'has' rather than plural options like 'have'.

Key Concept

Concord with 'The number of' vs 'A number of'
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement (Concord)

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