26. Select the best word or words for the blank in the following sentence. The nurses, except for Henry, ____________.
Answer: C
The nurses, except for Henry, are waiting.
The sentence correctly uses "are waiting" to indicate that multiple nurses, other than Henry, are engaged in the action of waiting. The plural subject "nurses" requires a plural verb form, making "are waiting" the appropriate choice.
A) waits
"Waits" is a singular verb that corresponds to a singular subject. Since "nurses" is plural, this option does not agree with the subject and is therefore incorrect.
B) is waiting
"Is waiting" is also a singular verb form. It does not align with the plural subject "nurses" and thus cannot be the correct choice in this context.
C) are waiting
This option is correct as "are waiting" properly matches the plural subject "nurses." It indicates that the group of nurses, excluding Henry, is currently engaged in the act of waiting.
D) was waiting
"Was waiting" is in the past tense and suggests a singular subject. Since the sentence refers to nurses in the present context, this option is incorrect as it does not fit the subject or the intended meaning.
Conclusion
The correct choice, "are waiting," accurately reflects the plural subject "nurses" and conveys the ongoing action in the present tense. All other options fail to correctly match the subject in number or tense, making them unsuitable in this context.