SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
The planets of our solar system formed from a rotating disk of gas and dust, which is why their orbits share a common direction. Each of the eight planets ______ the Sun counterclockwise when viewed from above Earth's North Pole.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
orbit
orbits
are orbiting
have orbited
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The subject is "Each," which is singular; "of the eight planets" is a prepositional phrase. A singular subject takes the singular verb "orbits." The simple present also fits a general, ongoing fact.
Choice A agrees with "planets," but the subject is "Each," which is always singular.
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