Choose the sentence that uses proper subject-verb agreement.

• A. The sets of data reveal a complex pattern.
• B. A set of data reveals a complex pattern.
• C. The data reveals a complex pattern.
• D. The set of data reveals a complex pattern.

Answer: (D)

The main idea tested here is how the verb agrees with the subject, not with words in the phrase that follow. In the phrase the set of data, the head noun is set, and set is singular. The words of data are just a modifying prepositional phrase that tells you what the set contains, but they don’t change the number of the subject. So the verb should be in its singular form: reveals. That keeps the sentence cleanly aligned with standard subject-verb agreement.

This approach avoids ambiguity about data’s number, since treating data as a plural noun would push the verb to reveal (which would invite confusion in other sentences). By keeping the head singular, the sentence remains clearly correct.