Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
Every winter, more than one train on the Delhi route ______ several hours late because of the thick fog that covers the tracks.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → runs
Subject-verb agreement with “more than one”:
- “More than one” is followed by a singular noun, and it takes a singular verb.
- Here the subject is “more than one train”. “Every winter” and “covers” show a habit in the present. So the verb is runs.
- Complete sentence: Every winter, more than one train on the Delhi route runs several hours late because of the thick fog that covers the tracks.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: run — Incorrect. “Run” is plural, but “more than one train” takes a singular verb. Example: Two buses run to the airport every hour.
Option 2: ran — Incorrect. “Ran” shows the past. The sentence is about a habit now (“every winter”). Example: The Shatabdi ran late yesterday.
Option 4: have run — Incorrect. “Have run” is plural, but the subject is singular. Example: Both school buses have run on time this week.