Question object

3.2 Form, Structure, and Sense - Modifier placement and clarity
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Objects ranging from the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle to the Yamaha VMAX motorcycle to the Komachi bullet train blank designed by twentieth-century industrial designer Kenji Ekuan.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A.

was

B.

is

C.

has been

D.

were

Objects ranging from the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle to the Yamaha VMAX motorcycle to the Komachi

Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Form, Structure, and Sense — Modifier placement and clarity. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "were" agrees in number with the plural subject "objects."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "was" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects." Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "is" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects." Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb "has been" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects."