An agreement question tests whether a verb matches the number of its subject. Sort the forms by number, then find the true subject by asking who or what the verb is about. Cross out phrases between the subject and verb, because their nouns don’t control the verb. One thing takes a singular verb, and more than one takes a plural verb. Check with it or they, rather than trusting the noun nearest the blank.
Hints
- Hint 1
In the words before the blank, look for what gets submitted.
- Hint 2
Cross out the phrase beginning with for, then replace the remaining subject with it or they to test the verb.
Step-by-step
Sort, find, and match
Step 1Sort the verb forms
Start by sorting the verb forms by number: do they go with one thing or more than one? Is, was, and has been go with one thing, despite their different tenses. The sentence says something gets submitted, so our next move is to find the subject that the verb has to match.
- Step 2
Find the true subject
What gets submitted? The answer is Written requests, while for extra summer housing tells us what the requests concern. Let’s cross out the phrase beginning with for so the subject sits right beside the blank. The true subject is requests, not housing: the deadline is for submitting written requests, not for submitting housing.
- Step 3
Match the plural subject
Can we replace Written requests with it or they? The subject names more than one request, so they is the right check. In the short version, we say they are submitted, which shows that are is the plural verb form the sentence needs. Choice B.