A pronoun question with a verb in each choice tests whether both words match what the text names. Sort the choices by one thing or more than one: singular pronouns take singular verbs, and plural pronouns take plural verbs. Then find what the pronoun stands for, reading back across a sentence break if needed. Use the whole noun phrase to decide whether it names one thing or several. A nearby noun doesn't decide the number unless it's what the pronoun means.
Hints
- Hint 1
Read the words after the blank and ask what was shared with the stakeholders. Look back across the semicolon for the full phrase that answers that question.
- Hint 2
How many things does that full phrase name? Match both the pronoun and its verb to that number.
Step-by-step
Sort, find the noun, and match
Step 1Sort by number
Sort the pronouns in the choices: it and this stand for one thing, while they stands for more than one. What else changes? Each choice also gives a verb before shared with all stakeholders, so we need to check whether the pronoun and its verb agree. Both words must match in number, meaning one thing or more than one. To decide that number, we'll read back for what was shared.
- Step 2
Find everything being shared
What was shared with the stakeholders? Read back across the semicolon: report and recommendations names what emphasized transparency in the first part. Those same items were then shared in the second part. The word committee's tells us who owns them; it doesn't change how many things are named. We have a report plus recommendations, so the full phrase is plural: two nouns joined by and count as more than one, even with the same owner.
- Step 3
Match the plural pair
For report and recommendations, it was and this was refer to too few things. Which plural version has a matching verb? Was is singular, so they was mixes numbers; plural they takes were. The choice that supplies those matching forms is they were. Choice B.