Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
During last night’s storm, there ______ at least a dozen power cuts in our area.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → were
Subject-verb agreement with “there was / there were”:
- After “there”, the verb agrees with the noun that comes after it.
- Here that noun is “power cuts”, which is plural. “A dozen” means twelve, so it does not make the noun singular. “Last night” shows the past. So the verb is were.
- Complete sentence: During last night’s storm, there were at least a dozen power cuts in our area.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: was — Incorrect. “Was” is singular, but “a dozen power cuts” is plural. Example: There was a long queue at the bank yesterday.
Option 2: are — Incorrect. “Are” is plural, but it shows the present. The sentence is about the past (“last night”). Example: There are five mango trees in our garden.
Option 4: is — Incorrect. “Is” is singular, but “power cuts” is plural. Example: There is a pen on the table.