Select the best word or words for the blank in the following sentence. The nurses, except for Henry, ________.

Rationale

The nurses, except for Henry, are waiting.

In this sentence, "the nurses" is a plural subject, which requires a plural verb form. The phrase "except for Henry" does not change the number of the subject; thus, the correct verb form must agree with the plural subject.

A (waits) YOUR ANSWER

The verb "waits" is a singular form, which would be appropriate for a singular subject (e.g., "the nurse waits"). Since "the nurses" is plural, using "waits" would create a grammatical error in subject-verb agreement.

B (is waiting) YOUR ANSWER

The phrase "is waiting" also uses a singular verb form. This construction would only be correct if the subject were singular (e.g., "the nurse is waiting"). Here, the plural subject "the nurses" necessitates a plural verb form, making "is waiting" an incorrect choice.

C (are waiting) CORRECT

This is the correct choice as "are waiting" uses the plural verb form "are," which matches the plural subject "the nurses." This agreement ensures grammatical correctness and clarity in the sentence.

D (was waiting) YOUR ANSWER

The phrase "was waiting" is in the past tense and uses a singular verb form. It would be suitable for a singular subject in the past (e.g., "the nurse was waiting"). However, since the sentence is in the present tense and the subject is plural, this choice is not appropriate.

Conclusion

The correct choice, "are waiting," maintains the necessary subject-verb agreement with the plural subject "the nurses." Other options fail to align with the plural nature of the subject, either by using a singular verb form or incorrect tense. Proper verb agreement is essential for the clarity and grammatical integrity of the sentence.

Select the best word or words for the blank in the following sentence. The nurses, except for Henry, ________.

The nurses, except for Henry, are waiting.

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