SAT OwlQuestion bank / Form, Structure, and Sense
Found on seafloors around the world, sea cucumbers are soft-bodied animals related to sea stars. The sea cucumber, despite its name and its long, ridged shape, ______ an animal rather than a plant.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
are
is
were
being
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
The subject is "The sea cucumber," which is singular. The phrase "despite its name and its long, ridged shape" sits between the subject and the verb but doesn't change the subject. The present-tense singular verb "is" is correct.
Choice A may sound right after the plural "sea cucumbers" in the first sentence, but the subject of this sentence is the singular "The sea cucumber."
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. "Are" is plural, but the subject, "The sea cucumber," is singular.
- C. "Were" is plural and past tense. The singular subject and present-tense context call for "is."
- D. "Being" can't serve as the main verb, so the sentence would have no verb.
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