Question 215·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
The pack of stray dogs, together with a few cats, _____ every morning outside the bakery waiting for scraps.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject-verb agreement questions, first cross out prepositional phrases (like "of stray dogs") and extra phrases between commas (like "together with a few cats") so you can clearly see the core subject. Decide if that subject is singular or plural, then check the time expressions (such as "every morning" or "right now") to choose the appropriate tense. Finally, pick the verb form that both agrees in number with the subject and matches the time frame indicated by the sentence.
Hints
Find the core subject
Try crossing out the phrases "of stray dogs" and "together with a few cats." What is left as the main subject?
Decide if the subject is singular or plural
Once you have the main subject, ask: does it refer to one group or to several groups?
Use the time phrase to pick the tense
Look at the phrase "every morning." Does that usually go with an action that is ongoing right now, or with something that happens regularly?
Match subject and verb form
For a singular subject in the simple present tense, what kind of verb ending do you usually see (compared with a plural subject)?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the subject and the verb blank
First, focus on the main structure of the sentence: something "_____ every morning outside the bakery waiting for scraps."
You are choosing the main verb that goes with the subject at the beginning of the sentence.
Strip away extra phrases to find the true subject
The full subject area is: "The pack of stray dogs, together with a few cats, _____"
Ignore prepositional and extra phrases:
- "of stray dogs" is a prepositional phrase describing the pack.
- "together with a few cats" is an added phrase between commas.
The core subject is just: "The pack", which is singular.
Match the verb number and tense to the subject and time phrase
Because "The pack" is singular, the verb must also be singular.
Also notice the time phrase "every morning," which shows a habitual action. Habitual actions in English are usually expressed in the simple present tense, not in perfect or continuous (progressive) forms.
Choose the option that is singular simple present
A singular subject in the simple present tense takes a verb that ends in -s (like "runs," "eats," "waits").
Among the choices, the only verb form that is simple present and matches a singular subject is "gathers", so the correct answer is B) gathers.