Choose the option that best corrects the underlined word:None of the ...
When 'none' is followed by of, look at the noun in the of-phrase (object of the preposition). If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb.
According to the stated rule, option B is the correct answer because the object of the preposition, 'cats', is plural and the plural verb 'are' is to be used for the sentence to be grammatically correct.
Options A, C and D are incorrect because 'was', 'has been' and 'is' are singular verbs. Since the object of the preposition is plural, none of these verbs can be used with it.
Choose the option that best corrects the underlined word:None of the ...
Explanation:
The underlined word in the sentence is "is", which is the present singular form of the verb "to be". However, since the sentence is referring to multiple cats, the correct verb form should be the present plural form "are".
Corrected Sentence:
None of the cats are eating their food today.
Reasoning:
The use of "are" is appropriate in this context because it agrees with the subject "cats", which is a plural noun. When using the verb "to be" in the present tense with a plural subject, the correct form is "are".
Example:
- The cat is eating its food. (singular subject)
- The cats are eating their food. (plural subject)
Incorrect Options:
a) was - This is the past tense form of the verb "to be", and it does not agree with the present tense of the sentence.
c) has been - This is the present perfect tense form of the verb "to be", and it is not appropriate to use in this context as it suggests a continuous action in the past.
d) no change - This option suggests that the underlined word is correct as it is, but it does not address the subject-verb agreement issue.