Question

(14) First the foundation of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse had to be

excavatted. (15) Steel ralls were placed under the structure so that it could be
inched along them with the help of hydraulic jacks. (16) Large crowds gathered to
watch nervously as the lighthouse began to move inland. (17) Each steel rail that
the structure rolled over were transferred from behind it to in front of it. (18) The
first move measured a mere 2 inches, but it was enough to convince the movers
that their plan was going to work. (19) The next effort shifted the lighthouse
5 more feet. (20) By the end of the first day, the lighthouse was more than 10 feet
away from it's original location.
What change, if any, needs to be made in sentence 17?
F Change rolled over to rolling over
G Change were transferred to was transferred
H Change the period to an exclamation point
J No change needs to be made in this sentence.

Answer 1

In sentence 17, 'were transferred' should be changed to 'was transferred' to match the singular subject 'each steel rail'. The correct answer is option G.

Step-by-step explanation:

The change that needs to be made in sentence 17 is changing 'were transferred' to 'was transferred'. The subject of the sentence 'each steel rail' is singular, so the singular verb 'was' should be used rather than the plural 'were'.

The correct sentence should read: 'Each steel rail that the structure rolled over was transferred from behind it to in front of it.' As such, the answer is G: Change were transferred to was transferred.