Question 24·Hard·Form, Structure, and Sense
An extensive archive of nineteenth-century women’s travel diaries, along with a searchable database of maritime records, _____ scholars to trace the movements of female itinerants across the Atlantic with unprecedented precision.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject–verb agreement questions, first strip the sentence down to its core: cross out prepositional phrases ("of..."), and extra phrases like "along with," "together with," or "in addition to." Identify whether that core subject is singular or plural, then eliminate any answer choices whose verb form does not match that number. Finally, check that the verb tense matches the time frame of the sentence—general truths usually take simple present tense—so you can quickly narrow to the one grammatically and logically correct option.
Hints
Find the core subject
Ignore the descriptive details for a moment. What is the basic noun at the start of the sentence that is doing the action to scholars?
Handle the phrase "along with"
Treat the phrase "along with a searchable database of maritime records" like extra information. Does it change the subject from singular to plural, or does the original noun remain the subject?
Check number and tense
Once you know if the subject is singular or plural, ask: Which choices match that number, and which tense best matches a statement of general, present-day research capability?
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate the verb and its subject
You are choosing the verb that fits in the blank: it will connect the subject (what is doing the action) to the object (who is receiving the action).
The structure is:
"An extensive archive of nineteenth-century women’s travel diaries, along with a searchable database of maritime records, _____ scholars to trace ..."
So the verb in the blank must match the subject that comes before it.
Identify the true grammatical subject
Find the main noun that the verb refers to.
The core subject is:
- "An extensive archive of nineteenth-century women’s travel diaries"
The phrase "along with a searchable database of maritime records" is extra information, similar to a phrase in parentheses. It does not turn the subject into a plural subject.
So the subject is singular: "archive."
Match the verb to a singular subject
A singular subject ("archive") needs a singular verb form in the present tense.
- Singular present verbs usually end in -s (e.g., "runs," "writes," "allows").
- Plural present verbs usually do not end in -s (e.g., "run," "write," "allow").
Among the options:
- "allow" = plural present
- "allows" = singular present
- "have allowed" = present perfect plural
- "were allowing" = past progressive plural
We also want the simple present tense because the sentence describes a general, current capability (what this archive and database do for scholars now).
Therefore, the verb that correctly matches a singular subject and fits the general present meaning is "allows".