Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
Elegance and intelligence had the two most important traits of young ladies.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1, i.e. “are the”.
In the sentence:
“Elegance and intelligence had the two most important traits of young ladies.”
the verb and structure are incorrect:
The auxiliary “had” is incorrect—traits are qualities, not possessions in this context.
The proper structure uses “are the two most important traits.”
As a result, option 1 replaces the incorrect past-tense verb “had” with the correct present-tense “are”, making the sentence grammatically accurate and semantically clear:
“Elegance and intelligence are the two most important traits of young ladies.”