Choose the correct option to complete the sentence:
Our class teacher, as well as the students, ______ planting saplings in the school garden right now.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → is
Subject-verb agreement with “as well as”:
- When two subjects are joined by “as well as”, the verb agrees with the first subject.
- The subject is “our class teacher”, not “the students”. “Right now” shows the present. So the verb is singular: is.
- Complete sentence: Our class teacher, as well as the students, is planting saplings in the school garden right now.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: are — Incorrect. “Are” is plural, but the subject “our class teacher” is singular. Example: My cousins are at the station.
Option 2: were — Incorrect. “Were” is plural, but the subject is singular. Example: The guests were late for dinner.
Option 4: was — Incorrect. “Was” is singular, but it shows the past. The sentence is about now (“right now”). Example: Our teacher was absent yesterday.