An agreement question tests whether a verb matches its subject, even with describing phrases between them. Sort the choices by one thing or more than one, using it or they to check each form. Then ask who or what the verb is about, and cross out the describing phrases. One thing needs a singular verb, and more than one needs a plural verb. The noun nearest the blank may belong to a phrase rather than be the true subject.
Hints
- Hint 1
Read the words before the blank and ask what the blank's verb is about.
- Hint 2
Set aside the phrases that begin with of and on. Is the subject left behind one thing or more than one?
Step-by-step
Sort, find the subject, and match
Step 1Sort the verb forms
The choices offer forms of one verb before visitors a glimpse into the town's early history, so sort them by number, not tense. Subject-verb agreement means a verb must match whether its subject is one thing or more than one. Which forms go with they? The forms give, have given, and are giving do, so they're plural.
- Step 2
Find the true subject
What's doing the giving? Cross out of vintage photographs, which tells us what the collection contains, and on display at the library, which tells us where it's shown. Those phrases add details but don't decide the verb's number. That leaves The collection as the true subject.
- Step 3
Match the subject's number
Can we replace The collection with it or they? Although it contains many photographs, a collection is one thing, so we use it. We now need a singular verb, and gives is the form that works in the short version, it gives. Choice B.