Examkin

Question

Difficulty: EasySubject-Verb Agreement

In volcanology, analyzing the chemical composition of fresh magma samples helps scientists predict future eruptions with greater accuracy. The gas bubbles trapped inside a cooling lava flow _______ crucial information about the pressure changes occurring deep beneath a volcano's surface, allowing researchers to model volcanic activity before a major hazard develops.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A
    provides
  2. provideAnswer
  3. C
    providing
  4. D
    has provided

Answer

The verb that correctly completes the sentence is 'provide' because it is a plural verb that agrees with the plural subject 'The gas bubbles'.
The correct option 'provide' is a plural verb that matches the plural subject 'The gas bubbles'. The noun 'flow' inside the intervening phrase 'trapped inside a cooling lava flow' is singular, but it is not the subject of the verb.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the verb in the sentence.
The subject is the plural noun phrase 'The gas bubbles'. The phrase 'trapped inside a cooling lava flow' is an intervening modifier, and the singular noun 'flow' is not the subject.
Determining the true subject is necessary to establish the correct grammatical number (singular or plural) for the verb.
2
Select the verb form that matches the number of the subject and fits the context.
The plural verb 'provide' agrees with the plural subject 'bubbles' and fits the present-tense academic description.
Subject-verb agreement requires a plural subject to be paired with a plural verb.

Key Concept

Subject-verb agreement with an intervening modifying phrase.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

More questions from this topic