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Question

Difficulty: Very hardSubject-Verb Agreement

Crucial to the study of ancient climates, the extraction of deep ice cores from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, along with the subsequent analyses of trapped greenhouse gases, ______ researchers with a direct record of atmospheric composition spanning hundreds of thousands of years. By examining these ice samples, scientists can reconstruct historical temperature fluctuations and atmospheric shifts.

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

  1. A
    provide
  2. B
    have provided
  3. providesAnswer
  4. D
    are providing

Answer

provides
The correct option is the singular verb 'provides' because it agrees in number with the singular subject 'extraction'. Intervening prepositional modifiers contain plural nouns but do not affect the grammatical number of the subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the clause containing the blank.
The subject is the singular noun 'extraction'.
Determining the subject is the first step in ensuring subject-verb agreement.
2
Identify any intervening phrases between the subject and the verb.
The phrase 'of deep ice cores from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, along with the subsequent analyses of trapped greenhouse gases' contains several plural nouns, but it acts as a modifier and does not make the subject plural.
Intervening phrases can distract from the true subject, but they do not change its grammatical number.
3
Choose the verb form that agrees with the singular subject.
The singular verb 'provides' is correct, whereas the plural options are incorrect.
A singular subject requires a singular verb form.

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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