Objects ranging from the Kikkoman soy sauce bottle to the Yamaha VMAX motorcycle to the Komachi bullet train blank designed by twentieth-century industrial designer Kenji Ekuan.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
was
is
has been
were
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "were" agrees in number with the plural subject "objects."
Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "was" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects." Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "is" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects." Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb "has been" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "objects."