Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumSubject-Verb Agreement

In architectural conservation, specialists face the challenge of preserving structural elements without altering their original character. The restoration of historic limestone facades, a process that often requires delicate chemical treatments and specialized manual labor, _______ meticulous planning to ensure that the ancient masonry is not inadvertently damaged. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A
    demand
  2. demandsAnswer
  3. C
    demanding
  4. D
    are demanding

Answer

The correct answer is 'demands'.
The singular verb 'demands' agrees with the singular subject 'restoration'. The prepositional phrase 'of historic limestone facades' and the appositive phrase 'a process that often requires delicate chemical treatments and specialized manual labor' are intervening modifiers and do not affect the grammatical number of the subject.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the subject of the sentence containing the blank.
The subject is the singular noun phrase 'The restoration'.
Subject-verb agreement requires matching the verb to the main subject, not to the nouns in intervening modifying phrases like 'of historic limestone facades' or 'a process that often requires delicate chemical treatments and specialized manual labor'.
2
Determine the appropriate verb form that agrees with the singular subject in the present tense.
The singular present tense verb 'demands' is correct.
The sentence describes an ongoing general fact, which requires the simple present tense. A singular subject ('The restoration') requires a singular verb ('demands').

Key Concept

Subject-Verb Agreement with Intervening Phrases
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Subject-Verb Agreement

More questions from this topic