Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
At our new railway station, the aged ______ now taken to their platforms in free battery cars.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → are
Subject-verb agreement with “the” + an adjective:
- “The” + an adjective, such as the rich or the poor, means a group of people. It takes a plural verb.
- Here “the aged” means old people. “Now” shows the present. So the verb is are.
- Complete sentence: At our new railway station, the aged are now taken to their platforms in free battery cars.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: is — Incorrect. “Is” is singular, but “the aged” means many people. Example: Our new station is very clean.
Option 2: was — Incorrect. “Was” is singular, but “the aged” means many people. Example: The old station was always crowded.
Option 4: were — Incorrect. “Were” shows the past. The sentence is about now (“now”). Example: The battery cars were bought last year.