ACT (Enhanced)EnglishEasy
A student is drafting an essay and wants to ensure that all verbs agree with their subjects. They have written the following sentence: The team of researchers, along with its lead scientist, *is/are* presenting their findings at the conference next month. Which verb form correctly completes the sentence?
- Ahave been
- Bwere
- Care
- Dis
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. is
The subject of the sentence is 'team,' which is a singular noun. Phrases like 'along with its lead scientist' are parenthetical and do not affect the subject-verb agreement. Therefore, the singular verb 'is' is correct.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. 'Have been' is a plural perfect tense verb form and does not agree with the singular subject or the simple future tense needed.
- B. 'Were' is a plural past tense verb form and does not agree with the singular subject or the future tense implied by 'next month'.
- C. 'Are' is a plural verb form and would be incorrect because the subject 'team' is singular.
Subject-Verb Agreement (Intervening Phrases)
Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match its subject in number (singular or plural). Intervening phrases between the subject and verb do not change the number of the subject.
- The verb must agree with the true subject, not a noun in an intervening phrase.
- Phrases like 'along with,' 'as well as,' 'in addition to,' and 'together with' do not make a singular subject plural.
- Identify the actual subject first, then choose the appropriate verb form.
Memory trick: Subject's number dictates the verb's form; ignore the noise in between.