Final answer:
The correct completion of the sentence is option D) 'All of the earnings from his summer job were going towards college,' as it adheres to the subject-verb agreement rules of English and is contextually appropriate given the additional information about the practical financial planning for college.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question regarding the correct completion of the sentence 'All of the earnings from his summer job was/were going toward/towards college' involves both subject-verb agreement and the use of directional words. In English, subject-verb agreement is the concept that a verb must agree in number with its subject.
In this case, 'all of the earnings from his summer job' is the subject and is considered a plural entity since it refers to the collective amount of individual earnings. Therefore, the correct verb is 'were', not 'was'. Additionally, the words 'toward' and 'towards' are both correct and interchangeable in American English, while 'toward' is generally preferred in American English, and 'towards' in British English.
Considering this grammar rule, option B) 'All of the earnings from his summer job were going toward college' and option D) 'All of the earnings from his summer job were going towards college' are both grammatically correct.
However, we can make the sentence more specific and aligned with the context provided: Many college students choose majors that offer immediate opportunities to earn money upon graduation, and summer jobs are a common way to save for education.
John was similarly wise in his approach to finance his college education by working during the summer and choosing to attend a local community college before transferring to a four-year university.
In the context of the additional information provided, which emphasizes the practicality of earning and saving for college, the specific sentence that would fit best is option D) 'All of the earnings from his summer job were going towards college' because it includes the detail that the earnings are allocated for future educational expenses. This option is the most informative and accurate in the context of this discussion.