Question 52·Easy·Form, Structure, and Sense
Every month, the community garden board meets to discuss maintenance and funding. During these meetings, the board typically ______ suggestions from volunteers before making a final decision.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For verb tense and subject-verb agreement questions, first underline the subject and decide if it is singular or plural. Then use any time clues (like “every month,” “usually,” “last year,” “right now”) to decide the correct tense (simple present, past, etc.). Eliminate any answer choices that don’t match both the subject’s number and the time/meaning of the sentence, and prefer the simple, active form when the sentence describes a general or habitual action.
Hints
Check the time phrase
Focus on the words “Every month” and “typically.” Do they describe something that happens once, in the past, or something that happens regularly?
Identify the subject
Look at the phrase before the blank: “the board typically ____ suggestions.” Treat “board” as the subject. Is it singular or plural here?
Match subject and verb form
Once you know if the subject is singular or plural and what kind of time (past, present, ongoing, habitual) is being described, eliminate any verb forms that don’t match both the subject and the time.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the subject and its number
Look at the main subject of the sentence: “the community garden board.” Even though the board is made up of people, the word “board” is a singular noun in this sentence. So the verb must be in singular form (like “considers,” not “consider”).
Use the time clue to choose the tense
The sentence starts with “Every month” and says “typically … before making a final decision.” This describes something that happens regularly or habitually, not just once in the past or right now at this moment. For repeated actions, we normally use the simple present tense (like “meets,” “discuss,” “considers”).
Match both subject-verb agreement and tense
Now combine what you know:
- The subject “board” is singular, so the verb must be singular.
- The action is habitual, so it should be in the simple present. Among the options, only “considers” is a simple present verb that correctly agrees with the singular subject “board” and fits the meaning of a regular, repeated action.