Question

A consummate gentleman, Stefan's etiquette and social grace was unmatched.

• A. Stefan's etiquette and social grace was unmatched.
• B. Stefan's etiquette and social grace were unmatched.
• C. Stefan's etiquette and social grace was unmatched.
• D. Stefan possessed unmatched etiquette and social grace.
• E. Stefan's social grace was matched only by his etiquette.

Hint:

When the subject of a sentence is compound, use a plural verb to ensure subject-verb agreement.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the sentence.
The subject of the sentence, "etiquette and social grace," is a compound subject, meaning it should take a plural verb. Therefore, "were" is the correct verb form.

Step 2: Analysis of options.
- (A) Stefan's etiquette and social grace was unmatched: Incorrect. The compound subject requires a plural verb, so "were" is needed instead of "was."
- (B) Stefan's etiquette and social grace were unmatched: Correct. This uses the plural verb "were," which correctly agrees with the compound subject.
- (C) Stefan's etiquette and social grace was unmatched: Incorrect. Same reason as (A).
- (D) Stefan possessed unmatched etiquette and social grace: Incorrect. While this is grammatically correct, it changes the structure of the sentence, which alters the intended meaning.
- (E) Stefan's social grace was matched only by his etiquette: Incorrect. This changes the meaning of the sentence and makes it unnecessarily complicated.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (B) Stefan's etiquette and social grace were unmatched.

Final Answer: \[ \boxed{(B) \, \text{Stefan's etiquette and social grace were unmatched.}} \]