- Fill in the blanks (i) – (iii) with the appropriate option from those given in the brackets. Solar and wind power (ii) _ (has emerged/emerge/are emerging) as the most promising alternatives.
- Fill in the blanks (i) – (iii) with the appropriate option from those given in the brackets. Solar and wind power (ii) _ (has emerged/emerge/are emerging) as the most promising alternatives.
Options
Official answer
are emerging — the compound subject 'Solar and wind power' is plural (rules out 'has emerged'), and the sentence describes an ongoing present trend (rules out simple present 'emerge'), so the present-continuous 'are emerging' is correct.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark for writing 'are emerging'. No half marks. Spelling of the answer must be correct; only this option is acceptable.
Hint
Identify the full subject — 'Solar and wind power' is a compound subject joined by 'and', so it is plural and needs a plural verb.
Quick oral answer
'Are emerging' — because 'Solar and wind power' is a compound subject joined by 'and', so it is plural, and the ongoing present development calls for the present-continuous tense.
Common mistakes
- 1.Choosing 'has emerged' by wrongly treating 'power' as a singular subject, ignoring that 'Solar and wind power' is a plural compound subject.
- 2.Choosing the simple present 'emerge' and missing that the sentence describes an ongoing present development requiring the continuous form.
Analysis and explanation
Tests subject-verb agreement + tense (present continuous) for a compound subject.
Concept
- Subject: 'Solar and wind power' — two items joined by 'and' = plural compound subject.
- Context 'as the most promising alternatives' shows an ongoing, unfolding present trend → needs present continuous (are + verb-ing), not simple present or present perfect.
Key points
- Plural subject rules out 'has emerged' (singular auxiliary 'has').
- Ongoing action rules out bare 'emerge' (simple present, habitual fact).
- 'are emerging' = plural auxiliary + correct participle.
Common mistakes
- Students look only at the nearest noun 'power' (sounds singular) and wrongly pick 'has emerged' — always identify the FULL subject first.
Real-world
- Solar and wind are genuinely the fastest-growing power sources today, reinforcing the continuous sense of 'are emerging'.
Previously asked
Fill in the blanks: Prerna and Sushil (i) ___________ (has/have/had) spent years together. On growing up they (ii) ___________ (had got/have got/got) separated and went their own ways. Sushil (iii) ___________ (becomes/became/had become) a well-known sports personality...
Fill in the blanks: Gavri was only eight years old, but (a) ________ mountain of family responsibilities had already (b) ________ (c) ________ her head.
Interesting facts
A compound subject joined by 'and' almost always takes a plural verb, unless the two nouns name a single combined idea (e.g. 'Bread and butter is my breakfast').
Solar and wind together became the largest source of new electricity capacity added worldwide in the 2020s, so 'are emerging' matches the real-world trend.
Question details
Q25 of 53 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- English (Communicative)
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section C
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- Fill in the Blank
- Chapter
- Grammar
- Topic
- Subject-verb agreement / verb form
- Bloom's level
- apply
- Syllabus topic
- Section C: Grammar — Verbs and Tenses: Subject-Verb Agreement and Present Continuous
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Why is 'has emerged' wrong here?
'Has emerged' is singular, but the subject 'Solar and wind power' is a compound subject joined by 'and', which is plural. A plural subject cannot take the singular auxiliary 'has'.
Could 'emerge' also be acceptable?
'Emerge' is plural and grammatically agrees, but it is simple present (a habitual/permanent fact). The sentence describes an ongoing, current development, so the present-continuous 'are emerging' is the intended and expected answer.