The sum and substance of the passage _ given below
Correct answer: D. was
- A. are
- B. has
- C. were
- D. was
Explanation
The subject of the sentence is "The sum and substance of the passage", which is a singular noun phrase. Although "sum and substance" are two words, they together form a single concept or idea, making it a singular subject.- The verb "was" agrees with the singular subject, indicating that the main points of the passage were presented below.
Last updated
About Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement requires the verb to match the true subject in number and person, even when other words intervene. Questions cover collective nouns, compound subjects, indefinite pronouns, either and neither, relative clauses, quantities and inverted sentences, where proximity can falsely suggest the wrong verb.
Practise Grammar
6,178 free Grammar MCQs from English, each with the correct answer and an explanation. Unlimited attempts, no account needed.
Exams that ask English questions like this
English is on 83 papers prepared for on TestUstad, and all of them draw the same bank, so this question is worth knowing for every one of them.