Part B has an error.
The singular verb 'was' should be replaced with 'were'. The subject of the given sentence is 'universities' which is plural in nature. Therefore, we cannot use a singular verb to justify the subject.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Note:
Subject-Verb Agreement: Matching up singular or plural subjects with singular or plural forms of a verb is part of the process called agreement. This can be understood better by the examples given: - "She likes cooking." [singular subject and verb] -- "They like to cook vegetables." [plural subject and verb]
Study Notes
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