[Video] Q15: No change or were unique for their or was unique for their or were unique for its

Explanation for Question 15 From the Writing Section on the Official Sat Practice Test 3

Now we're looking at number 15. Um, 2 and if we read our sentences as these Harvey houses, 3 which constituted the first restaurant chain in the United States was unique for its high 4 standards. And if we look at our answer choices, 5 right, we see that we have was, were, 6 was, were there. And it's. 7 And so the question is, is what we're talking about, 8 singular, which would allow us to use the verb was, 9 or is what we're talking about. Plural, because if it's plural, 10 we use the word war. So we have to ask ourselves what was unique 11 for its high standards. And the first thing I want you to notice here 12 is that we have two commas. We have an, 13 a positive phrase, right? And if we're trying to find the subject of our 14 sentence, if we're trying to see what goes along with the verb whatever's in, 15 and a positive phrase is not allowed to be the subject. 16 So always cross off the positive phrase, 17 whatever set off in comments or dashes when you can. 18 And then that leaves these Harvey houses was unique. 19 And that shouldn't make any sense, right? Because these Harvey houses is plural. 20 So we need these Harvey houses were unique, 21 right? Anything with was, can go because houses is plural. 22 And now the question is, do we use there? Or it's now I T 23 S it's is possessive. Um, 24 and so is there, so the issue is not whether or not it's possessive, 25 but whenever you use a version of it, 26 you're talking about something singular. And whenever you use a version of they 27 you're talking about something plural. So to be consistent with our subject being plural, 28 we have to choose B because it is also singular.