Fill in the blank with the correct option:
Every boy and every girl in the hostel ______ given a new woollen blanket last winter.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → was
Subject-verb agreement with “every ... and every ...”:
Two nouns joined by “and” usually take a plural verb: A boy and a girl were given blankets.
- When “every” (or “each”) comes before each noun, we think of the children one by one. So the verb is singular: Every boy and every girl was given a blanket.
- “Last winter” shows the past, so the singular past form is was.
- Complete sentence: Every boy and every girl in the hostel was given a new woollen blanket last winter.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: were — Incorrect. “Were” is plural. With “every” before each noun, the subject is singular. Example: The boys were given new blankets.
Option 2: have been — Incorrect. “Have been” is plural, but the subject is singular. Example: The tickets have been booked.
Option 3: are — Incorrect. “Are” is plural, but the subject is singular. Example: The children are in the garden.