For subject-verb agreement questions, locate the true subject and temporarily remove interrupting phrases such as “of the notebooks” and “together with the loose maps.” Then choose a verb that agrees with that subject and matches the sentence’s time frame and structure.
Hints
- Hint 1
Find the main subject
Ignore the words between the subject and the blank. Which word controls the verb?
- Hint 2
Check subject-verb agreement
Determine whether the controlling subject is singular or plural.
- Hint 3
Check the time frame
The sentence describes a completed procedure from the past, and the blank must combine correctly with “kept.”
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Identify the subject
The main subject is “each,” not the nearby plural nouns “notebooks,” “maps,” or “leaves.”
- Step 2
Determine agreement and tense
“Each” is singular and therefore requires a singular verb. The passage describes actions completed in the past, and the verb must work with “kept” to form the passive voice.
- Step 3
Select the answer
The only choice that is singular, past tense, and correctly forms the passive construction is was.