In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the bracketed part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select "no improvement". As he tried harder, his steps slowed, his senses (was activated).
were activated
Improving the Sentence: Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement
The question asks us to find the best alternative to improve the bracketed part "(was activated)" in the sentence: "As he tried harder, his steps slowed, his senses (was activated)." We need to examine the original phrase and determine if it is grammatically correct in the context of the sentence.
Analyzing the Original Sentence and the Bracketed Part
The sentence describes actions happening in the past ("tried", "slowed"). The phrase to be improved is "his senses was activated". Let's focus on the subject and verb in this phrase.
- The subject is "senses". This noun is plural (one sense, multiple senses).
- The verb is "was activated". This is in the passive voice, formed by a form of "be" ("was") and the past participle ("activated").
The issue lies with the agreement between the plural subject "senses" and the singular auxiliary verb "was". In English grammar, the verb must agree in number with its subject. A plural subject requires a plural verb form.
Subject-Verb Agreement Explained
Subject-verb agreement means that if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular, and if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. For the verb 'to be' in the past tense:
- Singular subjects (like 'he', 'she', 'it', 'sense') use 'was'.
- Plural subjects (like 'they', 'we', 'you', 'senses') use 'were'.
Since the subject is "senses" (plural), the correct auxiliary verb should be "were", not "was".
Evaluating the Improvement Options
Let's look at the provided options:
-
is activated
This uses the singular present tense auxiliary verb "is". This does not agree with the plural subject "senses", and the present tense "is activated" does not match the past tense of the rest of the sentence ("tried", "slowed"). Therefore, this option is incorrect.
-
were activated
This uses the plural past tense auxiliary verb "were", which correctly agrees with the plural subject "senses". The past tense "were activated" also matches the tense of the main clauses in the sentence ("tried", "slowed"). The passive structure ("were" + past participle "activated") is also correct. This option provides the necessary improvement.
-
were activate
This uses the plural past tense auxiliary verb "were", which agrees with "senses". However, it uses the base form of the verb "activate" instead of the past participle "activated" required for the passive voice. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
-
no improvement
As we established, the original phrase "was activated" is grammatically incorrect due to the lack of subject-verb agreement with the plural subject "senses". Therefore, improvement is needed, and this option is incorrect.
Based on the analysis, the correct improvement is "were activated".
The Improved Sentence
The sentence with the correct phrase is:
"As he tried harder, his steps slowed, his senses were activated."
Revision Table: Verb Forms
| Subject | Past Tense 'be' | Example (Passive) |
|---|---|---|
| Singular (e.g., he, she, it, sense) | was | He was tired. A sense was activated. |
| Plural (e.g., they, we, you, senses) | were | They were ready. His senses were activated. |
Additional Information: Understanding Passive Voice
The passive voice is used when the action of the verb is done to the subject, rather than the subject performing the action. It is formed using a form of the verb 'to be' followed by the past participle of the main verb.
Structure: Subject + form of 'be' + past participle (+ by agent - optional)
In the phrase "senses were activated", the senses are not performing the action of activating; something or someone else is activating them (though the 'agent' performing the activation is not mentioned). The senses are receiving the action.
- Active voice example: Something activated his senses. (Subject 'Something' performs the action 'activated')
- Passive voice example: His senses were activated by something. (Subject 'His senses' receives the action 'activated')
The original sentence uses the passive voice correctly in terms of structure ("be" + past participle), but incorrectly in terms of subject-verb agreement with the plural subject "senses" and the singular auxiliary "was". The correct passive form for a plural subject in the past tense is "were activated".
Important Questions from Phrase Replacement
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
My old teacher gave many poor students money in spite of he was poor.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
You should to read the newspaper regularly if you want to be well-informed.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
If he had listening to me he would not have got lost.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
He asked for a bank loan also he didn't have sufficient resources.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
I went to the shop to buy some stationeries .
