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Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

The architectural innovations introduced by the ancient Maya during the Classic period, particularly the vaulted arch, ______ a sophisticated understanding of structural engineering. While modern scholars initially believed these structures were purely ornamental, recent archaeological excavations of residential sites reveal that these advanced building techniques were widely utilized to improve the durability of everyday dwellings.

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

  1. A
    demonstrates
  2. demonstrateAnswer
  3. C
    demonstrating
  4. D
    has demonstrated

Answer

demonstrate
The plural verb 'demonstrate' correctly agrees in number with the plural subject of the sentence, 'innovations'. The intervening prepositional and appositive phrases, which end with the singular noun 'arch', do not affect the agreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the clause containing the blank.
The subject is 'innovations', which is plural.
To ensure subject-verb agreement, the verb must match the number of the true subject, ignoring any intervening modifier phrases.
2
Identify the intervening elements between the subject and the verb.
The phrase 'introduced by the ancient Maya during the Classic period, particularly the vaulted arch' contains the singular noun 'arch'.
Recognizing this intervening modifier prevents the common error of matching the verb with the nearest noun ('arch') instead of the true subject ('innovations').
3
Evaluate the choices to find the plural finite verb.
'demonstrate' is the plural present tense form, which matches 'innovations'.
This establishes grammatical agreement and completes the sentence properly.

Key Concept

Subject-verb agreement requires a verb to match the grammatical number (singular or plural) of its subject, regardless of any intervening words, phrases, or clauses.
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Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

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