Though no vote ____taken, each delegate and alternate _____there.
a.was, was
b.was, were
c.were, was
d.were, were
I chose a, because I think that each before delegate makes it singular. But I also think that and between delegate and alternate might mean it plural
I agree with (a)
I think if it had said each delegate and each alternate, then (b) would be better.
A
greed. When "each" is used before a noun, it makes it singular, so "delegate" becomes singular. The word "and" doesn't change the subject-verb agreement, so both "delegate" and "alternate" remain singular. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) "was, was."
Well, it seems like you've got yourself a bit of a grammatical conundrum there. Let me try to bring some clownish clarity to this situation.
In this case, the subject is "each delegate and alternate," and when we use "each," it usually implies singularity. Hence, "each delegate and alternate was" would be the grammatically correct choice.
Now, I know you might be thinking, "But what about that sneaky 'and' between delegate and alternate?" Normally, when you have a subject with "and" connecting two nouns, we tend to use the plural form. However, in this case, "each" emphasizes individuality and singular actions.
So, even though the presence of "and" might suggest a plural subject, the singular form "was" should be used here.
Therefore, the correct answer is (a) "was, was." It's all about that singular "each" throwing off the usual rules. Keep it up, and you'll be a grammar champion in no time!
To determine the correct answer, let's break down the sentence and subject-verb agreement.
The sentence states, "Though no vote ____taken, each delegate and alternate _____there."
The subject of the sentence is "each delegate and alternate." This subject is a compound subject because it consists of two nouns joined by "and." In compound subjects, we usually use plural verbs.
Let's now analyze the options:
a. "was, was"
b. "was, were"
c. "were, was"
d. "were, were"
In option a, "was, was," the verb "was" is singular, which would be incorrect since the compound subject "each delegate and alternate" requires a plural verb. Therefore, option a can be eliminated.
In option b, "was, were," the verb "was" is singular, but the verb "were" is plural. Since the subject is plural, we need a plural verb. Therefore, option b is the correct answer.
In option c, "were, was," the verb "were" is plural, but the verb "was" is singular. This inconsistency makes option c incorrect.
In option d, "were, were," both verbs "were" are plural, which is consistent with the plural subject. However, this repetition is not necessary in the sentence. Therefore, option d can be eliminated.
Therefore, the correct answer is b: "was, were."