An agreement question tests whether a verb matches a subject that's one thing or more than one. When several words come before a blank, find who or what the verb is about. Set aside phrases that describe the subject, then check whether it names one thing or more than one. A singular noun subject takes a singular verb, and a plural noun subject takes a plural verb. The nearest noun isn't always the subject.
Hints
- Hint 1
Look at the words before the blank. Which word names what's being anchored, and which words only describe it?
- Hint 2
After you set aside the phrase beginning with of, test the subject with it or they. Which helping verb can follow that pronoun?
Step-by-step
Find the subject behind the phrase
Step 1Sort the verb forms
Compare the helping verbs in the choices for a fleet of brightly painted fishing boats. We're checking agreement, which means the verb must match its subject as one thing or more than one. Which forms work with they? The forms are anchored, have been anchored, and were anchored all do, so they're plural despite their different tenses.
- Step 2
Find the true subject
The phrase of brightly painted fishing boats tells us what the fleet contains, so let's cross it out for now. What is being anchored in the harbor? The subject is a fleet, while boats sits inside the of phrase and only describes the fleet. A fleet counts as one group, even when it contains many boats.
- Step 3
Match the singular helper
Now replace a fleet with it and try the verb: it is anchored. The helper is matches it, so is anchored gives the sentence the singular verb its subject needs. Choice B.