Fill in the blanks :
The growing number of visitors _____ the footpaths.

Question

Fill in the blanks : 
The growing number of visitors _____ the footpaths.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is Option 2: "is damaging".

Here's why:

*   **Subject-Verb Agreement:** The subject of the sentence is "The growing number of visitors". The key word here is "number," which is singular. Therefore, the verb must also be singular. "Is" is the singular form of the verb "to be" used in the present continuous tense.

*   **Present Continuous Tense:** The sentence describes an ongoing action. The growing number of visitors *is currently* causing damage to the footpaths. The present continuous tense ("is damaging") accurately reflects this ongoing process.

Now, let's examine why the other options are incorrect:

*   **Option 1: are damaging:** "Are" is a plural verb. Since the subject "number" is singular, using "are" violates subject-verb agreement.

*   **Option 3: were damage:** "Were" is a plural verb in the past tense, and "damage" is a noun. This option doesn't form a grammatically correct verb phrase. It also doesn't fit the context of an ongoing action.

*   **Option 4: was damaged:** "Was damaged" is in the passive voice and past tense. While grammatically correct in some contexts, it implies that the footpaths were damaged at a specific point in the past, not that they are currently being damaged by the increasing number of visitors. The sentence structure suggests an ongoing process, making the present continuous tense more appropriate.

Therefore, only Option 2, "is damaging," correctly uses a singular verb that agrees with the singular subject "number" and accurately reflects the ongoing nature of the action.