Question

Choose the correct form of the verb to fill in the following blank:
The sale of tickets for the show ______________ from next week.
a) is started
b) are started
c) will start
d) was start

Answer 1

Hint:From our previous knowledge, we know that when the subject is plural, the verb is also in the plural form and when the subject is singular, the verb is singular as well.

Complete answer:
 Looking at the question, we can easily figure out that this is a question of Subject-Verb agreement. The primary and the most important rule of subject-verb agreement is that the subjects and verbs must agree in number which implies: if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular too, and when the subject of the sentence is composed of two or more nouns or pronouns connected by ‘and’, a plural verb must be used. Now let us check all the options one by one.
In option ‘a’, we see that 'is' in 'is started' is a present tense verb, whereas the action is yet to happen. This does not collaborate with the given rule, hence it is not the correct answer.
Now, in option b, 'are' is a plural verb, whereas the subject 'sale' is singular. Also, it's a present tense verb. The phrase 'is started' does not agree in number as well as tense, with the given sentence, so it is also not the correct answer.
In option c, The subject 'the sale of tickets' is singular, as 'sale' is the main noun here, and it's singular. It refers to one single unit. Also, the action will happen in the future 'next week', 'will' in 'will start' is a future tense verb and agrees with the sentence in the tense 'next week'. Hence option C is correct.
Lastly, in option d, we know that it is incorrect because 'was start' is not a correct phrase as 'start' is a base verb and does not express a tense. 'Was' is a helping verb that expresses past tense.

Note:
It is mandatory for the subject to agree with the verb even if the sentence might sound colloquially incorrect at times.