Select the best word or words for the blank in the following sentence. The nurses, except for Henry, ________.

The subject 'nurses' is plural, so the correct verb to use should also be plural. In this case, 'are waiting' matches the plural subject 'nurses.' 'Waits,' 'is waiting,' and 'was waiting' are all singular forms and do not agree with the subject, making them incorrect choices. When a sentence includes a group like 'the nurses,' the verb should match the plurality of the main subject. In this case, because 'nurses' is plural, the correct answer is 'are waiting.' The phrase 'except for Henry' does not change the plurality of the subject, so the verb still needs to be plural.