Every measurement in the architect's blueprint, which spanned more than forty detailed pages, _____ verified by the master builder before...

Let's begin by understanding the meaning of this sentence. We'll use our understanding of pause points and segment the sentence as shown - understanding and assimilating the meaning of each segment bit by bit!

Sentence Structure

• Every measurement in the architect's blueprint,
• which spanned more than forty detailed pages,
• [?] verified by the master builder
• before construction began.

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start reading from the beginning:

'Every measurement in the architect's blueprint'

• This is talking about the measurements in an architect's blueprint.
• The word 'every' is important here - it means we're considering each measurement individually, one by one.

'which spanned more than forty detailed pages'

• This gives us extra information about the blueprint - it was really detailed, covering more than forty pages.

Now here's where we need to fill in the blank:

• 'Every measurement... ______ verified by the master builder'

Let's look at our choices:

• A. were (plural, past)
• B. was (singular, past)
• C. are (plural, present)
• D. have been (plural, present perfect)

So we're deciding on the right verb form - both the number (singular vs. plural) and the tense.

What do we need here?

The subject is 'every measurement.'

• Even though we're talking about multiple measurements conceptually, 'every measurement' is singular.
  • 'Every' means we're considering the measurements one at a time - each individual measurement.
  • Think of it like 'every single measurement' - that's singular.
• So we need a singular verb.

This eliminates 'were,' 'are,' and 'have been' (all plural).

• We need 'was' (singular, past).

Now let's read the rest to see the complete picture:

• 'verified by the master builder before construction began'
  • This tells us the master builder checked each measurement before they started building.
  • 'Before construction began' is past tense, which confirms that 'was' (past tense) is the right choice.

So we need was - it's singular to match 'every measurement' and past tense to match the timeframe.

Grammar Concept Applied

Subject-Verb Agreement with "Every" and Similar Words

When you use words like "every," "each," or "every one" before a noun, the verb must be singular - even when you're talking about multiple items conceptually. These words emphasize the individual nature of items, treating them one by one:

Pattern:

• Every + singular noun → singular verb
• Each + singular noun → singular verb

Examples:

• Every student has a textbook. (not "have")
  • Even though there are multiple students, "every student" means we're considering them individually
• Each measurement was checked. (not "were")
  • Even though there are multiple measurements, "each measurement" takes singular

In this question:

• "Every measurement" = subject (singular because of "every")
• was = singular verb (matches the subject)
• The phrase "in the architect's blueprint, which spanned more than forty detailed pages" sits between the subject and verb, but doesn't change the agreement
• "Before construction began" confirms we need past tense

The key is recognizing that "every" makes the subject singular, regardless of how many items you're actually talking about.