An agreement question with phrases before the verb tests whether the verb matches its true subject. First, sort the forms by number: one thing takes a present verb ending in -s, is, was, or has; more than one takes the form without -s, are, were, or have. Then ask who or what the sentence is about, cross out describing phrases, and replace the subject with it or they. A nearby noun doesn’t control the verb if it belongs to a phrase describing the subject.
Hints
- Hint 1
Read the words before the blank and ask which noun is the subject. Which words name what the sentence is about, and which only describe it?
- Hint 2
Look at the phrases beginning with of and by. If you set those aside, can you replace the remaining subject with it or they?
Step-by-step
Sort, find, and match
Step 1Sort the verb forms
Start by sorting the verb forms by number: enchant, were enchanting, and have enchanted all work with they. These forms need a plural subject, meaning more than one person or thing. What is enchanting the readers? The true subject will tell us whether the sentence needs a singular or plural verb.
- Step 2
Cross out the describing phrases
Set aside of short stories by the award-winning author, which tells us what the collection contains and who wrote the stories. Are stories and author also subjects? No, because they belong to phrases that describe the collection and its stories. With those phrases crossed out, The collection remains, so the true subject is collection.
- Step 3
Match the singular subject
Can we replace The collection with it or they? A collection is one thing, even when it contains many stories, so check it with it. The short version is it enchants, which makes enchants the form that agrees with this subject. Choice B.