Standard English ConventionsVery hardAgreement with a compound subject after the verb
Standard English Conventions practice question
Beneath the floorboards ____ a bundle of letters and a faded photograph.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
- A. wereCorrect
- B. was
- C. is
- D. has been
Answer: A. were
The subject follows the verb: 'a bundle of letters and a faded photograph' — two things, so plural. The sentence is in the past ('faded' suggests discovery), so 'were'.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. was
- 'was' is singular, but the subject is a compound of two things.
- C. is
- 'is' is singular.
- D. has been
- 'has been' is singular.
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