Question 95·Medium·Form, Structure, and Sense
Despite its modest size, the community orchestra, along with its volunteer conductor, ______ performances that rival those of professional ensembles.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject–verb agreement questions, first cross out interrupting phrases set off by commas (such as "along with," "together with," or "as well as") to find the core subject. Decide whether that subject is singular or plural, then quickly eliminate any choices that don’t match in number. Finally, check that the tense fits the sentence context—general facts usually take simple present—and that the sentence still reads smoothly after inserting the verb.
Hints
Locate the main subject
Ignore the phrase between the commas ("along with its volunteer conductor") for a moment. What single noun remains as the subject of the verb?
Check singular vs. plural
Ask yourself: Is that main subject one thing (singular) or more than one thing (plural)? The verb must match that number.
Match tense and form
The sentence describes what usually happens, in general. Which verb form best matches a general, ongoing ability or characteristic, and also agrees with a singular subject?
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the true subject of the sentence
Start by identifying who or what is doing the action. In the sentence, the phrase before the verb is:
"the community orchestra, along with its volunteer conductor, ______ performances..."
The core noun doing the action is "the community orchestra". The phrase "along with its volunteer conductor" is extra information, set off by commas, and does not change the subject from singular to plural.
Decide if the subject is singular or plural
"The community orchestra" refers to a single group, so it is singular. Even though a conductor is mentioned, the structure "along with" does not create a compound (plural) subject. Therefore, we need a singular verb to agree with this singular subject.
Choose the correct verb form and tense
The sentence is making a general statement about what the orchestra typically does, so the simple present tense is most appropriate. Among the options:
- A singular simple-present verb form is needed to agree with the singular subject "orchestra".
- Only one option is a singular present-tense active verb that fits this role.
The choice that correctly matches the singular subject and appropriate tense is "delivers".