In the Inca Empire (1438–1533), ayllus ________ family clans that ranged in size from small groups to thousands of people.

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

• In the Inca Empire (1438-1533),
  • ayllus [?] family clans
    • that ranged in size
      • from small groups to thousands of people.

Understanding the Meaning

Let's start reading from the beginning:

• 'In the Inca Empire (1438-1533)'
  • This tells us when and where we're talking about.
  • The dates show this was a historical period that ended in 1533 - so we're discussing the past.

Now we get to the main point:

• 'ayllus ______ family clans'

This is where we need to fill in the blank. Let's look at our choices:

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

So we're choosing between different verb forms. What do we need to know?

First, is "ayllus" singular or plural?

• The word ends in -s
• The sentence is defining them as "family clans" (plural)
• So "ayllus" is plural - we need a plural verb

Second, what tense do we need?

• The Inca Empire dates (1438-1533) tell us this is historical
• This empire ended over 400 years ago
• We need past tense

So we need a verb that is both plural AND past tense: were

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

• 'that ranged in size from small groups to thousands of people'
  • This gives us more detail about these family clans
  • They varied - some were small groups, others had thousands of people
  • Notice "ranged" is also past tense, confirming our time frame

The complete meaning: In the historical Inca Empire, ayllus were family clans that came in different sizes - anywhere from small groups to thousands of people.

GRAMMAR CONCEPT APPLIED

Matching Verbs to Plural Subjects

When you have a plural subject (a word referring to more than one thing), you need to use the plural form of the verb. In the past tense:

• Singular subjects use "was"
• Plural subjects use "were"

Examples:

• The clan was large. (singular: one clan)
• The clans were large. (plural: multiple clans)
• The empire was powerful. (singular: one empire)
• Ayllus were family clans. (plural: multiple ayllus)

In this question:

• Subject: "ayllus" (plural)
• Time context: Historical (1438-1533, ended in past)
• Correct verb: "were" (plural, past tense)

The key is identifying whether your subject is singular or plural, then choosing the verb form that matches. Words ending in -s are typically plural in English (though there are exceptions), and the context here - describing them as "family clans" (plural) - confirms that "ayllus" is plural.