Choose the grammatically accurate clause to complete the introductory cleft sentence:
What the architectural conservationists find most concerning ________ the progressive deterioration of the limestone foundation.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. is
Answer: is. Why not the others: 'are' pluralizes the copula despite the singular nominal complement; 'being' is a non-finite participle that fails to provide a finite predicate; 'have been' introduces an inappropriate plural perfect aspect without temporal justification.
- Step 1: Identify the structure: the sentence opens with a pseudo-cleft wh-nominal clause ('What the architectural conservationists find most concerning').
- Step 2: Determine the complement: the post-copular complement is a singular abstract noun phrase ('the progressive deterioration of the limestone foundation'). A wh-clause serving as a singular concept takes the singular copular verb 'is'.
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