Final answer:
The correct sentence is 'b. The manner in which the statistics were collected is subject to scrutiny' because this sentence properly uses 'statistics' as a plural noun with the verb 'were', and agrees with the singular 'manner' with the verb 'is'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct sentence that contains no errors is b. The manner in which the statistics were collected is subject to scrutiny. This sentence correctly uses 'statistics' as a plural noun, which must be paired with the plural verb 'were', and uses 'is' to agree with the singular 'manner'. Sentence structure and subject-verb agreement are crucial in English grammar to ensure clarity and correctness.
Subject/Verb Agreement
In English, it's vital that the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number. This means that singular subjects take singular verbs, and plural subjects take plural verbs. Mistakes in subject/verb agreement can lead to confusion and make sentences read awkwardly.
Understanding verb forms
Differentiating between singular and plural forms of verbs is essential to making sure that your sentences are grammatically correct. For example, the subject 'statistics' is a plural noun and therefore requires the use of 'were' instead of 'was'. The subject of the sentence guides the verb choice.