Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the highlighted segment in the given sentence. If no substitution is required, select ‘No substitution’.
A sharp fall in the price of jute have led the poor jute farmers to the brink of starvation.

Correct option is C

The correct substitution of the highlighted segment is (c) has led the poor jute farmers.
· The subject of the sentence is “A sharp fall”, which is singular. Therefore, the verb must also be singular to maintain subject-verb agreement. The use of “have” is incorrect here; the correct singular auxiliary verb is “has”. Also, the past participle form of "lead" is “led”, not “lead.” So the correct phrase is “ has led the poor jute farmers.”
· Grammatical rule used: When the subject of a sentence is singular, the verb must also be singular. In this case, “A sharp fall” is singular, so we use “has” instead of “have.” Additionally, the verb “lead” in present tense changes to “led” in past perfect or present perfect tense.
· Explanation of the grammatical rule in Hindi: Subject-Verb Agreement नियम के अनुसार, यदि कर्ता (subject) एकवचन है, तो क्रिया (verb) भी एकवचन होनी चाहिए। “A sharp fall” एकवचन है, इसलिए इसके साथ “has” का प्रयोग होगा, न कि “have” का। साथ ही, “lead” की भूतकाल (past) में सही रूप “led” होता है, “lead” नहीं।
· Example: Incorrect: The rise in prices have affected the economy. Correct: The rise in prices has affected the economy.