Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
She insisted that he ___ present during the signing of the agreement.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
be
Explanation
Rule: This sentence requires the subjunctive mood. In English, certain verbs expressing a demand, insistence, recommendation, or request (such as insist, demand, suggest, recommend) are followed by a "that" clause containing a verb in its base form, regardless of the subject or the tense of the main verb.
Formula: Subject + insisted that + Subject + Base Verb (Bare Infinitive)
Application: Because the verb "insisted" triggers the mandate structure, the third-person pronoun "he" must be paired with the base form of the verb "to be", which is "be". Using indicative forms like was, is, or would be violates this specific subjunctive grammar rule.