SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
Tree rings can serve as a record of past climates. The width of a tree's annual growth rings and the density of the wood within them ______ scientists clues about how much rain fell and how warm it was in a given year.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
give
gives
has given
is giving
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
The subject is compound: "The width ... and the density ..." Two subjects joined by "and" are plural, so the plural verb "give" is correct. The present tense matches the general fact stated in the first sentence.
Choice B agrees with "density," the noun closest to the blank, but the subject is two nouns joined by "and," which takes a plural verb.
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