Find the part of the sentence that contains an error: That the report failed to address the root causes (1)/ of the community unrest were surprising (2)/ given the exhaustive data (3)/ compiled over several months. (4)

Correct — B. The subject is the whole clause That the report failed to address the root causes of the community unrest.

A that-clause used as a subject counts as one idea and takes a singular verb. The plural root causes sits inside the clause, close to the verb, and pulls it towards were.

Part (2) should read "of the community unrest was surprising" — option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  (1) — That correctly opens the noun clause, and failed to address is a sound past tense. The plural causes is right where it stands; it is only the lure for the verb in part (2).
• (c)
  (3) — given here is a preposition meaning 'considering', followed by the noun phrase the exhaustive data. This part has no verb, so there is nothing in it to agree.
• (d)
  (4) — compiled is a past participle describing the data, and over several months is a correct duration phrase. The sentence closes cleanly.

Subject-verb agreement is decided by the head of the subject, not by the noun that happens to stand nearest the verb.

When the subject is a whole clause — That he resigned, Whether it works — the clause counts as a single thing, so the verb is singular: That he resigned was a shock.

Here a plural noun, causes, is buried inside the clause so that a plural verb sounds right beside it. Find where the subject ends before you judge the verb.

Key facts

• A that-clause used as a subject takes a singular verb: That he resigned was a shock.
• The verb agrees with the head of the subject, not with the nearest noun.
• Given can work as a preposition meaning 'considering': given the evidence.

Common traps

• Matching the verb to root causes, the plural that stands closest before it
• Suspecting part (1) because a sentence opening with That looks unfinished

No directly related past PYQ was found.