Choose the correct word to complete the following sentence:
At present, about sixty per cent of the farmland in our village ______ watered by the new canal.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → is
Subject-verb agreement with “per cent of”:
- After “per cent of”, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it. A noun that cannot be counted takes a singular verb.
- Here the noun is “the farmland”, which cannot be counted. “At present” shows the present. So the verb is is.
- Complete sentence: At present, about sixty per cent of the farmland in our village is watered by the new canal.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: are — Incorrect. “Are” is plural, but “the farmland” cannot be counted, so it is singular. Example: Sixty per cent of the students in our class are girls.
Option 3: was — Incorrect. “Was” is singular, but it shows the past. The sentence is about now (“at present”). Example: Ninety per cent of the field was under water last August.
Option 4: were — Incorrect. “Were” is plural, but the subject is singular. Example: Most of the farmers were at the mandi yesterday.