Question 119·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Founded in 1984, the Gorilla Doctors program ______ that prompt medical intervention can significantly improve survival rates among endangered primates.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject–verb agreement questions, first isolate the true subject of the sentence by stripping away extra words (prepositional phrases, descriptive terms). Determine whether that subject is singular or plural, then decide on the appropriate tense (general fact = simple present, completed past event = simple past, etc.). Finally, scan the answer choices and quickly eliminate any verbs that do not match both the subject’s number and the intended time frame, rather than trying to “hear” what sounds right.
Hints
Find the true subject
Look closely at the phrase "the Gorilla Doctors program." Which word is the main noun that the verb must agree with: "Doctors" or "program"?
Decide if the subject is singular or plural
Once you know the main noun, ask: does it refer to one thing or more than one? That will tell you whether you need a singular or plural verb form.
Think about the time frame
Is the sentence talking about a single event that happened once in the past, or is it making a general statement that is still true now?
Match subject, tense, and verb form
After you decide the subject’s number (singular/plural) and the time frame (past vs. general present), eliminate any options that don’t match both.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the subject of the sentence
Look at the phrase before the blank: "the Gorilla Doctors program".
- The core (head) noun here is "program", not "Doctors."
- "Program" is singular, so the verb must agree with a singular subject.
Decide on the appropriate tense and form
The sentence is describing a general fact about what the program shows—that prompt medical intervention can improve survival rates.
- General truths or ongoing facts are usually expressed in the simple present tense.
- So we need a singular, simple present verb form to match "program."
Match the subject to the correct answer choice
Now check each option:
- A) demonstrate – base form, used with plural subjects (they demonstrate) → does not match singular "program."
- B) demonstrates – singular simple present (it demonstrates) → matches singular "program" and fits a general fact.
- C) demonstrated – simple past; would describe a completed past action, not a general ongoing fact.
- D) are demonstrating – plural present progressive (they are demonstrating); "program" is singular, and progressive aspect is awkward for a general claim.
Therefore, the correct choice is B) demonstrates.