In the following questions, a sentence is given with a highlighted phrase in it. The highlighted phrase may/may not be grammatically correct. Choose the best alternative to replace the highlighted phrase so as to make the sentence grammatically and contextually correct. If no replacement is required, choose option E as your answer. The recent quarterly report on agricultural exports reveals that the total yield of cash crops along with several organic food products have increased sharply across northern states.

·         Rule: When two subjects are connected by phrases like along with, as well as, together with, alongside, the verb must strictly agree with the first subject . ·         Reasoning: Here, the main subject is singular ("the total yield"). The phrase "along with several organic food products" is extra information and does not make the subject plural. Therefore, we need the singular verb "has increased" instead of the plural verb "have increased". ·         Elimination: o   (B) Incorrect because it uses the plural verb "are increasing". o   (C) Incorrect because it uses the plural passive form "have been increased". o   (D) Incorrect because "alongside with" is redundant (use either "alongside" or "along with"). o   (E) Incorrect because the original phrase incorrectly uses the plural verb "have".