Question 136·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
During an interview, the novelist said that her latest book _____ deeper themes than any of her previous works.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject-verb agreement questions, first strip away introductory phrases to find the core subject and the verb slot. Identify whether the subject is singular or plural, and decide the appropriate tense based on the context (often simple present for general statements). Then eliminate answer choices that are the wrong number (singular vs. plural) or are non-finite forms (-ing, "to" forms, or "having" phrases) when a main verb is needed. This quick process lets you choose the correct standard English form efficiently.
Hints
Locate the subject inside the clause with the blank
Ignore "During an interview, the novelist said that" for a moment. Focus on the part starting with "her latest book"—what is the subject there, and what word in the choices could be its main verb?
Check number agreement
Ask yourself: is "book" singular or plural? Then look for the verb form that matches that number in the simple present tense.
Eliminate non-finite verb forms
Two of the choices end in -ing or begin with "having." Can those forms by themselves serve as the main verb of a clause, or do they usually need extra helping words?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the subject and the verb slot
Look at the main clause: "the novelist said that her latest book ____ deeper themes than any of her previous works."
Inside the "that" clause, the subject is "her latest book." The blank must be filled by the main verb that goes with this subject.
Determine the correct tense and type of word
The sentence is reporting what the novelist said in an interview about her book in general, not at a specific moment in the past. That kind of statement usually uses the simple present tense (what the book does). Also, the blank needs a finite verb (a complete verb form that can serve as the main verb of the clause), not an -ing or "having" phrase.
Match the verb form to a singular subject
The subject "book" is singular, so the simple present verb must also be singular. In English, regular present-tense verbs usually add -s after a third-person singular subject (he/she/it/book). Among the choices, only "explores" is a simple present, singular, finite verb that correctly completes the sentence.