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

Question

In the wetlands of southern Florida, alligators help shape the landscape around them. The deep holes they dig with their snouts and tails hold water long after the surrounding marsh has dried out. Both fish and turtles ____ these pools as refuges during the driest months of the year.

Accepted Answer

B. use. The subject is the compound "Both fish and turtles," which is plural, so the plural present-tense verb "use" is required. (A) is the singular present-tense form, the error of treating a compound subject (or the nearest noun) as singular. (C) uses the singular auxiliary "is" with a plural subject. (D) uses the singular auxiliary "has" with a plural subject and also shifts to a completed-action form that conflicts with the passage's habitual present tense.

Answer

A. uses — "Uses" is the singular form; the subject here is the compound "Both fish and turtles," which is plural and needs "use."

Answer

C. is using — The auxiliary "is" is singular, so it can't go with the plural subject "Both fish and turtles" — that would need "are using."

Answer

D. has used — "Has" is singular and doesn't match the plural subject, and the completed-action form clashes with the passage's habitual present tense describing what the animals do each dry season.

Standard English Conventions practice question

Answer: B. use

Why the other answers are wrong

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