Researchers studying the “terra-cotta army,” the thousands of life-size statues of warriors found interred near the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China, were shocked to realize that the shape of each statue’s ears, like the shape of each person’s ears,______ unique.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. are
B. is
C. were
D. have been
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is B. is.
Explanation:
The sentence refers to the shape of each statue’s ears, not the ears collectively, which means the subject is singular. The word “shape” is the main noun of the sentence, and it is singular. Therefore, the verb that agrees with this singular subject should also be singular. In this case, the correct verb form is “is” because it matches the singular subject, “shape.”
Here’s a breakdown:
- “Researchers studying the ‘terra-cotta army’… were shocked to realize” introduces the main action, which is past tense, but this does not affect the subject-verb agreement in the second part of the sentence.
- “The shape of each statue’s ears…” is the subject of the second clause. The subject, “shape,” is singular, and this determines the verb form.
- Since “shape” is singular, the verb that follows must be singular as well. Thus, “is” is the correct choice.
If the sentence had said something like “the shapes of each statue’s ears,” the plural subject “shapes” would require the plural verb form “are.” But in this case, because the focus is on the singular “shape,” the verb “is” is appropriate.
This is a common area of confusion in English, as people might be tempted to focus on “ears,” which is plural, but the key is that “shape” is the subject of the sentence.