qts skills test help

[abiflowerx]

Can anyone tell me the answer to this ?

The assembly was concerned with the series of playground incidents
Now choose one of the following to complete the sentence:
(a) that were making life difficult for the infants.
(b) that was making life difficult for the infants.
(c) that are making life difficult for the infants.
​(d) that is making life difficult for the infants.


I think I it A but I am not 100% sure

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forums.:-D

(a) is correct if the incidents were in the past and (c) if the incidents are still going on.

 

[emsr2d2]

Welcome to the forums.:-D

(a) is correct if the incidents were in the past and (c) if the incidents are still going on.

Those were my initial suitable answers too, and then my brain shouted "The series is singular so it's (b) and (d)". Now I can't decide between the four potential answers.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Those were my initial suitable answers too, and then my brain shouted "The series is singular so it's (b) and (d)". Now I can't decide between the four potential answers.

One could make a case for either. I would say the relative clause attaches more logically to "incidents" than to "series". Therefore, I would choose the plurals.

 

[5jj]

It's possible to make a case for all four.

Bad question.

 

[Rover_KE]

'Series' is either singular or plural. It sounds plural, and in combination with incidents I'd use a plural verb every time.

 

[Tdol]

I think I it A but I am not 100% sure

It's not a good question, but a) is the most likely answer IMO.