Select the grammatically correct verb form to complete the demographic summary:
A substantial proportion of the coastal mangroves ________ destroyed by commercial aquaculture development over the past three decades.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. have been
Answer: have been. Why not the others: 'has been', 'was', and 'is' are singular verb forms that treat 'mangroves' incorrectly as an uncountable mass noun.
- Step 1: Analyze the quantifier phrase: 'A substantial proportion of [noun]'. When quantifiers like 'proportion', 'percentage', or 'fraction' are followed by of-phrases, the verb agrees with the countability/number of the object of the preposition.
- Step 2: The noun 'mangroves' is plural and countable. Therefore, the verb must be plural: 'have been'.
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