The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Based on the options provided in the image, the correct choice is that the original sentence requires no change.
The sentence, “Each of them brings an ingredient: noodles, mushrooms, or pasta sauce,” is grammatically correct as written. Here is a detailed explanation of the two key grammatical principles at play.
First is the principle of subject-verb agreement. The subject of the sentence is the indefinite pronoun “Each.” Pronouns like “each,” “every,” “everyone,” and “anyone” are always considered singular. A common mistake is to make the verb agree with the object of the prepositional phrase that follows the subject. In this case, the prepositional phrase is “of them.” However, the verb must agree with the true subject, “Each,” not the plural object “them.” Since “Each” is singular, it requires the singular third-person verb form, which is “brings.” The plural verb form “bring” would be incorrect. For example, we say, “Each of the cars is fast,” not “Each of the cars are fast.”
Second is the correct use of the colon. A colon is used to introduce a list, an explanation, or a quotation that follows an independent clause. An independent clause is a complete thought that can stand on its own as a sentence. The clause “Each of them brings an ingredient” is a complete sentence. It has a subject (“Each”) and a verb (“brings”) and expresses a full idea. Therefore, placing a colon after this clause to introduce the specific list of ingredients (“noodles, mushrooms, or pasta sauce”) is the proper punctuation.
Because both the subject-verb agreement (“Each… brings”) and the punctuation (the colon introducing a list) are correct, the sentence is grammatically sound and does not need any correction.
