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Difficulty: HardVerbs, Tenses, and Aspect

Following the leak of classified financial documents, the board of directors insisted that the chief executive officer ________ an emergency press statement to clarify the situation. Which of the following verb forms correctly completes the sentence?

  1. tenderAnswer
  2. B
    tendered
  3. C
    tenders
  4. D
    would tender

Answer

The base verb form 'tender' is grammatically correct because the sentence employs the mandative subjunctive mood.
In formal English grammar, when verbs expressing commands, requests, resolutions, or insistence (such as 'insist', 'demand', 'recommend', 'propose') are followed by a 'that'-clause, the verb in that clause must take the subjunctive mood. The mandative subjunctive takes the base form of the verb (bare infinitive) without any suffix modifications for tense or subject agreement. Therefore, the base verb form 'tender' is correct.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main governing verb and clause structure.
The main clause contains the verb of demand/insistence 'insisted that'.
Verbs expressing demands, recommendations, or resolutions trigger the mandative subjunctive in subordinate 'that'-clauses.
2
Apply the grammatical rule for mandative subjunctive constructions.
The verb in the subordinate clause must remain in its uninflected base form (bare infinitive).
Subjunctive clauses following verbs like 'insist', 'demand', 'recommend', or 'resolve' do not take tense inflections (-ed) or third-person agreement markers (-s).
3
Select the uninflected base verb form among the given options.
'tender' is chosen as the bare infinitive form.
It strictly complies with formal standard English subjunctive requirements for JAMB UTME.

Key Concept

Mandative Subjunctive Mood
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Verbs, Tenses, and Aspect

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