Question

The number of workers have increased steadily each year.

• A. have increased steadily
• B. steadily have increased
• C. have been increasing steadily
• D. has increased steadily
• E. has steadily been going through an increase

Hint:

Remember the rule: "The number of..." takes a singular verb, while "A number of..." takes a plural verb. Example: \textbf{The number} of cars \textbf{is} small. / \textbf{A number} of cars \textbf{are} parked outside.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests subject-verb agreement. The verb of a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The subject of this sentence is "The number." The phrase "of workers" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "number" but is not part of the core subject. The phrase "The number" is always treated as a singular subject.
The verb in the original sentence is "have increased," which is a plural verb form. This creates a subject-verb agreement error.
To correct the error, the plural verb "have" must be changed to its singular form, "has."
Option (D), "has increased steadily," correctly pairs the singular subject "The number" with the singular verb "has." Option (E) is grammatically correct but is wordy and less concise than (D).
Step 3: Final Answer:
The subject "The number" is singular and requires the singular verb "has increased."