Sentence 12: This first English dictionary, published in two volumes, contain 43,500 words.
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Which of the following is the best way to write the underlined portion of this sentence?If you think the original is the best way,choose option 1
1. contain
2. is containing
3. containing
4. contained
5. had contained
4?
Yes
AWESOME thank you!
You're welcome.
To determine the best way to write the underlined portion of the sentence, we need to consider subject-verb agreement. The subject of the sentence is "This first English dictionary," which is singular. Therefore, we need a verb that agrees with the singular subject.
Option 1: "contain" - This verb is in the present tense and does not agree with the singular subject. We can eliminate this option.
Option 2: "is containing" - This verb is in the present continuous tense and does not agree with the singular subject. We can eliminate this option.
Option 3: "containing" - This verb is in the present participle form and does not function as the main verb of the sentence. We can eliminate this option.
Option 4: "contained" - This verb is in the past tense, which corresponds to the time frame of when the dictionary was published. The verb "contained" agrees with the singular subject and is the best choice.
Option 5: "had contained" - This verb is in the past perfect tense and is not necessary in this context. We can eliminate this option.
Therefore, the best way to write the underlined portion of the sentence is by using option 4: "contained."