Question 112·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Each of the finalists ______ a brief statement before the judges deliberate, summarizing the community impact of their projects.
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 and ignore any prepositional phrases like "of the finalists" that can distract you. Decide if the subject is singular or plural, then eliminate choices that are not finite verbs (such as -ing forms or infinitives) when a main verb is needed. Finally, among the remaining options, pick the verb form that correctly agrees with the subject in number and tense (e.g., use the -s form for third-person singular in the present tense).
Hints
Find the subject of the sentence
Focus on the phrase "Each of the finalists ______ a brief statement." What is the main subject word: "Each" or "finalists"? Is that word singular or plural?
Decide what kind of verb belongs in the blank
Does the blank need a main verb that shows tense and agrees with the subject, or does it need some other kind of verb form like an -ing form or an infinitive?
Check subject–verb agreement
Once you know the subject is singular or plural, look at which choices are standard present-tense forms for that kind of subject. Ask: Which one would you use with "he" or "she" in a simple present-tense sentence?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the true subject
Look at the phrase before the blank: "Each of the finalists ______ a brief statement..." The key word here is "Each". Even though "finalists" is plural, the head of the subject is "Each," which is singular. So, we need a verb that agrees with a singular subject.
Decide what kind of verb form is needed
In this sentence, the blank must be filled with the main verb of the clause: "Each of the finalists ___ a brief statement..." This means we need a finite verb (a normal, conjugated verb that shows tense and agrees with the subject), not a verb form that depends on another verb (like an -ing form or an infinitive).
Eliminate verb forms that cannot act as the main verb here
Check each choice:
- making is an -ing form (present participle). Used alone after the subject ("Each of the finalists making a statement") it does not create a complete sentence; it needs a helping verb (like "is making").
- to make is an infinitive. Infinitives usually follow another verb (like "wants to make"). Used right after the subject here, it would sound incomplete and ungrammatical.
So making and to make cannot be the main verbs of this clause and can be eliminated.
Choose the verb that agrees with the singular subject
Now compare the remaining options:
- make is the base form, which is used with plural subjects ("They make") or with helping verbs ("do make").
- makes is the third-person singular present form used with singular subjects like "he," "she," "it," or "each."
Because the subject is singular ("Each"), the correct choice is "makes". The completed sentence is:
"Each of the finalists makes a brief statement before the judges deliberate, summarizing the community impact of their projects."