Question 77·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
The music critics praised the singer’s latest album for its innovative sound; meanwhile, fans ______ eager to see how the songs would translate to a live performance.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For questions about verb forms, first locate the subject of the verb in question and decide whether it is singular or plural; immediately eliminate any answer choices that don’t match that number. Then check the surrounding verbs to see what tense and time frame the sentence is using, and choose the option that both agrees with the subject and keeps the tense consistent with the rest of the sentence. Working in this order—subject first, then tense—helps you move quickly and avoid being distracted by meanings that all sound similar.
Hints
Check who is doing the action
Focus on the part of the sentence with the blank: “fans ______ eager to see…” What word is the subject of this verb, and is it singular or plural?
Match the verb to the time of the action
Look at the verb “praised” earlier in the sentence. Is that past, present, or future? Should the verb in the blank be in the same general time frame or a different one?
Use both number and tense to eliminate choices
Eliminate any answer choice that doesn’t agree with the plural subject or doesn’t fit the time frame suggested by “praised” and “meanwhile.”
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the subject of the verb in the blank
Look at the clause after the semicolon: “fans ______ eager to see how the songs would translate to a live performance.”
The subject here is “fans,” which is a plural noun.
Decide whether the verb must be singular or plural
Because the subject “fans” is plural, the verb in the blank must also be plural to agree with it in number.
This rules out any verb form that is only used with a singular subject.
Match the verb tense to the rest of the sentence
The first clause uses the past tense verb “praised,” and the word “meanwhile” shows these actions were happening at the same time in the past.
So the verb in the blank should also be in a past time frame, not clearly present-time.
Choose the verb form that fits number and tense
We need a verb that is plural and fits a past time frame to match “fans” and “praised.” Among the choices, only “were” correctly agrees with the plural subject and maintains the past narrative, so the best answer is D) were.