Digital SATReading and Writing: Standard English ConventionsHard
A philosopher's seminal work, a collection of essays that challenged conventional thought, ______ widely considered a foundational text in postmodernism.
- Awere
- Bhave been
- Cis
- Dare
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. is
The subject of the sentence is 'work,' which is singular. The phrase 'a collection of essays that challenged conventional thought' is an appositive, providing additional information about the 'work' but not changing the subject's number. Therefore, the singular verb 'is' is correct.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. This plural past tense verb does not agree with the singular subject 'work'.
- B. This plural perfect tense verb does not agree with the singular subject 'work'.
- D. This plural present tense verb does not agree with the singular subject 'work'.
Agreement with Appositives
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. It does not affect the number of the subject; the verb must agree with the actual subject, not the appositive.
- Appositives are usually set off by commas.
- They provide extra information about the subject.
- The verb must agree with the noun *before* the appositive.
Memory trick: Appositives are just a side note, the main subject's number is the boat!