Question 26·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Standard English Conventions
That the elongated bubbles trapped within several Roman glass vessels, unlike the roughly spherical bubbles in samples allowed to cool without rotation, align with spiral paths that molten glass would have followed as the vessels were shaped _____ materials scientist Laila Nasser’s conclusion that the glassmakers continuously rotated the vessels during production.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
For subject-verb agreement questions, locate the complete grammatical subject before considering the nouns closest to the blank. When a clause beginning with “that” serves as the subject, treat the whole clause as one singular fact or idea and choose the verb form that agrees with it.
Hints
Look beyond the nearest noun
Do not assume that the noun closest to the blank is the subject of the missing verb.
Condense the subject
Temporarily replace the entire clause beginning with “That” with the singular phrase “This finding.” Then determine which verb form agrees.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the complete subject
The subject is not one of the nearby plural nouns, such as “paths” or “vessels.” The complete subject is the clause beginning with “That” and ending with “were shaped.”
Apply subject-verb agreement
This clause represents one fact or finding, so it is treated as singular. The singular present-tense verb “supports” therefore completes the sentence correctly.