Directions: Choose the phrase that should replace the bold part of the…

Concept

Subject–verb agreement depends on the number of the subject and on the tense of the finite verb. Past-tense lexical verbs normally have the same form with singular and plural subjects.

A singular count noun used indefinitely normally needs a determiner, whereas a plural count noun can stand without an article. The verb must also form a natural construction with its object.

Application

1. Identify “politicians” as a plural subject.

2. In the original phrase, “makes” is a third-person singular present-tense form, so it does not agree with “politicians”; “vague promise” is also a bare singular count-noun phrase without a determiner.

3. In “made vague promises”, “made” is a complete past-tense finite verb whose form does not vary with subject number, while the plural noun phrase “vague promises” needs no article.

Contrast

• “has promises” uses the third-person singular main verb “has” with the plural subject.

• “would recalled policies” places the past-tense form “recalled” after the modal “would”; a modal takes the base form.

• “should conflict promise” treats “conflict” as a transitive verb in this meaning and also leaves the singular count noun “promise” without a determiner.

• Leaving the sentence unchanged retains the singular present verb “makes” and the bare singular count noun “promise”.

Cross-check

The revised sentence, “The politicians made vague promises about tax cuts,” has a plural subject, a complete past-tense finite verb, and a well-formed plural object noun phrase.

Therefore, the required replacement is “made vague promises”.