Subtopic: Subject-verb agreement with collective and conjunction phrases
Question Statement:
Choose the grammatically correct option to complete the sentence:
"The professor, along with her research scholars, ________ attending the international agricultural symposium today."
Options:
(A) is
(B) are
(C) were
(D) have been
Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
When a singular subject ('The professor') is accompanied by parenthetical prepositional phrases such as 'along with', 'as well as', or 'in addition to', the grammatical number of the subject remains singular. Therefore, the singular verb 'is' is correct.