Question 103·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
While packing for the trip, Lena realized that the map and compass ______ at the bottom of her backpack.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject-verb agreement questions, first locate the true subject (often right before the verb or blank), then decide if it is singular or plural—especially when there are compound subjects joined by "and." Next, match the verb to that subject in both number (singular/plural) and tense, using the main verb elsewhere in the sentence as your tense guide. Quickly eliminate any options that are clearly singular with a plural subject or that shift tenses without a clear reason.
Hints
Find the subject of the verb
Look closely at the words just before the blank. Which nouns are being talked about, and how many items are there?
Check if the subject is singular or plural
Ask yourself: Am I talking about one thing or more than one thing? This determines whether the verb should be singular or plural.
Match verb tense to the rest of the sentence
Notice the tense of "realized." Should the verb in the blank describe something happening at the same past time, or now?
Eliminate options that mismatch number or tense
Cross out any answer choices that are singular when the subject is plural, or that are in a different tense from the rest of the sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the subject of the verb
Look at the noun phrase before the blank: "the map and compass." Because it has two items joined by "and," it is a compound subject and is treated as plural in Standard English.
Decide if the verb should be singular or plural
Plural subjects take plural verbs. So the verb you choose must be a plural form, not a singular one. This immediately rules out options that are clearly singular forms.
Match the verb tense to the rest of the sentence
The main verb earlier in the sentence is "realized," which is in the simple past tense. The missing verb describes where the items were at that time in the past, so the verb in the blank should also be in a simple past form, not present or present perfect.
Choose the verb that is both plural and in simple past
"Were" is the plural form of the verb "to be" in the simple past tense and correctly agrees with the plural subject "the map and compass" and the past-tense verb "realized." So the correct answer is A) were.