ACT Conventions of Standard English Practice Test 2026 - Free ACT Practice Questions and Study Guide

Using a group as the subject usually treats it as a single unit, so the verb should be singular. “The group of students” acts as one group, not many groups, which is why the correct form is “was” rather than “were.” When connecting two independent clauses with however, standard punctuation places a semicolon before however and a comma after it. That gives: “The group of students was excited about their trip; however, they forgot their passport.” The other options either misuse the verb agreement or mishandle the punctuation around however, creating a mismatch or a comma splice.