SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
Using ice-penetrating radar, scientists have mapped what lies under the thick ice of Antarctica. Hidden beneath the ice sheet ______ more than 400 lakes of liquid water, the largest of which is Lake Vostok.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
are
is
has been
was
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
This sentence is inverted: the subject, "more than 400 lakes," comes after the verb. Because the subject is plural, the verb must be the plural "are." The present tense fits, since the lakes still exist.
Choice B agrees with "the ice sheet," which comes right before the blank, but the actual subject is the plural "lakes."
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