Question

passage 1
hernani has written this report for his art class. he has asked you to read his report and offer suggestions for improvement.
(1) although the artist mary cassatt never was a mother, she became famous for her paintings of women and their children. (2) cassatt, who never married, guarded her independence ferociously. (3) born in 1844, she lived during an age when unmarried women was considered unusual, and female artists were often shunned. (4) in fact, when cassatt told her father that she wished to be an artist, he allegedly said he would almost rather see her dead.
(5) cassatt focused on mother - and - child paintings because the french impressionist painter edgar degas had urged that her do so. (6) before cassatt’s paintings, most artworks depicting mothers and children were religious and formal. (7) degas thought that a relaxed, humanistic treatment of the subject would set cassatt’s creations apart from those of other artists and give her recognition that she wouldn’t otherwise receive as a female painter.
(8) degas’s theory proved correct. (9) cassatt achieved early success with the public as well as with art critics. (10) she bought fancy clothes and a large house in the country, where she held parties until long after midnight for famous artists, writers, and politicians. (11) no matter how late the festivities, cassatt always was at work painting early the next morning.
(12) cassatt was not only a gifted artist, but also an ardent supporter of women’s rights. (13) she loathed being referred to as a “woman artist” and wanted simply to be called an “artist.” (14) she supported campaigns to gain the right to vote for women and hoped that women would be active in government someday. (15) cassatt even gave generously to female factory workers, which were often abused and underpaid at that time. (16) although cassatt never had any children of her own, her activism and concern made her a mother of sorts to many underprivileged women. (17) after her death, her house became a home for abandoned children.
what change, if any, should be made to sentence 3?
○ change was to were.
○ change were to was.
○ change lived to lives.
○ make no change.

Explanation:

Sentence 3 states: "Born in 1844, she lived during an age when unmarried women was considered unusual..." The subject "unmarried women" is plural, so the verb should be the plural form "were" instead of the singular "was" to maintain subject-verb agreement.

Answer:

A. Change was to were.