Question 46·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Every autumn, the leaves of the sugar maple turn a brilliant red, then drop as the tree _____ for the coming winter.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject-verb agreement and verb tense questions, first isolate the subject of the verb in question (singular vs. plural), then check what tense and aspect the surrounding verbs use. Choose the option that both agrees in number with the subject and matches the tense pattern of the sentence—on the SAT, general truths and habitual actions are usually expressed in the simple present, while mixing tenses without a clear reason is almost always wrong.
Hints
Find the subject for the blank
Look at the words right before the blank. Which noun is doing the action of getting ready for winter: "the leaves" or "the tree"?
Check singular vs. plural
Once you know which noun is the subject, decide whether that subject is singular or plural. Then, think about what kind of verb form that subject usually takes.
Match the tense to the rest of the sentence
Notice the forms of the verbs "turn" and "drop" earlier in the sentence. Are they describing a one-time action happening right now, or a regular event that happens every autumn?
Eliminate tense and agreement errors
Cross out any choices that do not agree in number with the subject or that use a different tense/aspect than the rest of the sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the subject of the blank
Look carefully at the part of the sentence that comes right before the blank: "as the tree _____ for the coming winter."
The subject of the verb in the blank is "the tree", which is singular (one tree), not plural.
Match the verb to the subject (number)
Because the subject "the tree" is singular, the verb must also be singular.
In the present tense, a third-person singular subject (he, she, it, the tree) usually takes a verb that adds -s (for example, "runs," "grows," "changes"). So we are looking for a form that can correctly go with "the tree" as a singular subject.
Check the tense used in the rest of the sentence
The earlier verbs are "turn" and "drop":
- "the leaves of the sugar maple turn a brilliant red, then drop"
These verbs are in the simple present tense, which is used for general truths or regular, repeated events (what happens every autumn). The verb in the blank should match this pattern and also be in simple present, not a different tense or aspect like progressive ("is ...ing") or perfect ("have/has ...ed").
Choose the verb form that is singular and simple present
Now evaluate the choices:
- "prepare" is plural (used with "they prepare") and does not match the singular subject.
- "is preparing" is singular, but it is present progressive, which does not match the simple present verbs "turn" and "drop."
- "have prepared" is plural present perfect and does not agree with the singular subject or match the general, habitual action.
- "prepares" is a third-person singular simple present verb that agrees with "the tree" and matches the tense of "turn" and "drop."
Therefore, the correct answer is "prepares."