A number of small bruises __________ present upon examination.
A) was
B) were
I say it's B, but it could also A because they both work.
The verb is the singular was because the subject, number, is singular.
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To determine the correct answer, it is important to understand subject-verb agreement. In this sentence, the subject is "a number of small bruises."
The phrase "a number of" is what we call a pluralizing phrase, which means it makes the noun (bruises) plural. Since the noun is plural, the verb should also be plural to maintain subject-verb agreement.
Now let's consider the choices:
A) "was" is the singular past tense form of the verb "to be," and it does not agree with the plural subject "bruises." Therefore, choice A is incorrect.
B) "were" is the plural past tense form of the verb "to be," and it agrees with the plural subject "bruises." Therefore, choice B is correct.
In conclusion, the correct answer is B) "were." So, there should be a "number of small bruises were present upon examination."