The following question presents a sentence, part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence, you find four ways of phrasing the underlined part. Following the requirements of the standard written English, select the answer that produces the most effective sentence. Tuberculosis, together with its effects, ranks one of the leading causes of death in India. A. ranks as one of the leading causes of death B. rank as one of the leading causes of death C. has the rank of one of the leading causes of death D. are one of the leading causes of death

GATE 2015 · General Aptitude · English Grammar · medium

Answer: Option A: ranks as one of the leading causes of death

1. Identify the subject and required verb number: Subject = 'Tuberculosis' (singular). 'together with its effects' is a parenthetical — it does NOT change the subject. Therefore the verb must be singular: 'ranks'.
2. Choose between A and C using idiom and conciseness: Option A: 'ranks as one of the leading causes of death' — singular verb, correct idiom 'ranks as', concise. Option C: 'has the rank of one of the leading causes of death' — singular but verbose and unnatural. Standard written English prefers A.