Choose the appropriate word/phrase, out of the options given below, to complete the following sentence: Dhoni, as well as the other members of Indian team, _________ present on the occasion. A. were B. was C. has D. have

GATE 2015 · General Aptitude · Subject-Verb Agreement · easy

Answer: B. was

1. Identify the main subject: The sentence begins with 'Dhoni' — a singular proper noun. The phrase 'as well as the other members of Indian team' is set off as a parenthetical addition and does NOT become part of the compound subject.
2. Choose the verb that agrees with the singular subject: Since 'Dhoni' is singular, the verb must be singular past tense: 'was'. Option A ('were') is plural, C ('has') implies present perfect (wrong tense context), and D ('have') is plural present — all incorrect.