The answer ________ that no one knows.

The answer ________ that no one knows.

• A. is
• B. was
• C. are
• D. will

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is subject-verb agreement with a singular subject and the pattern The answer is [that-clause]. The word The answer is singular, so the verb must be singular as well. Using is keeps the sentence as a current, factual statement: The answer is that no one knows. Inside the that-clause, the verb agrees with its own subject, no one, which is singular, so we use knows (not know). The other options don’t fit because are would clash with the singular subject, was would shift the meaning to the past, and will would require a different construction (for example, that no one will know) that doesn’t align with the given sentence.

The main idea here is subject-verb agreement with a singular subject and the pattern The answer is [that-clause]. The word The answer is singular, so the verb must be singular as well. Using is keeps the sentence as a current, factual statement: The answer is that no one knows.

Inside the that-clause, the verb agrees with its own subject, no one, which is singular, so we use knows (not know). The other options don’t fit because are would clash with the singular subject, was would shift the meaning to the past, and will would require a different construction (for example, that no one will know) that doesn’t align with the given sentence.