Fill in the blank with the most appropriate verb: John as well as his friends always _____ the permission of his mother before going for a rugby match.

Introduction / Context:
This fill-in-the-blank question tests subject–verb agreement and collocation in English. The sentence is: “John as well as his friends always _____ the permission of his mother before going for a rugby match.” You need to choose the verb that both agrees with the true subject and combines naturally with the noun “permission”.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Subject phrase: “John as well as his friends”.
• Main noun in the complement: “the permission of his mother”.
• Options include verbs like “asks”, “receives”, “seeks”, and an incorrect form “soughts”.
• The sentence describes a regular habit (always) before going for a rugby match.

Concept / Approach:
Two key grammar concepts are tested: subject–verb agreement with “as well as” and verb–noun collocation with “permission”. In structures like “John as well as his friends”, the true grammatical subject is “John” (singular). The phrase “as well as his friends” is additional information and does not change the number of the subject, so the verb must be singular. Next, English uses certain standard combinations: “ask permission”, “seek permission”, “get permission”. By contrast, “receive the permission” is less common and feels awkward in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the true subject. In “John as well as his friends”, John is the central subject, and the verb must agree with this singular noun. Step 2: Because “John” is singular and the sentence is in the simple present tense describing a habitual action, the verb must appear in the singular form (with -s): asks, seeks, etc. Step 3: Examine collocations with “permission”. The most natural expressions are “seek permission” and “ask permission”. The phrase “seek the permission of his mother” sounds formal but correct. Step 4: Compare the options. “asks the permission of his mother” is grammatically acceptable but not the most idiomatic; we normally say “asks his mother for permission”. Step 5: “seeks the permission of his mother” matches well with formal usage and fits the structure exactly. Step 6: “receives” does not convey the idea of taking initiative to obtain permission; it focuses on the outcome rather than the action John performs. Step 7: “soughts” is not a valid verb form in English.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we modify the complement slightly, the sentence “John as well as his friends always seeks permission from his mother before going for a rugby match” still reads smoothly. The key here is the verb “seeks” with the singular subject “John”. Native usage supports “seek permission from someone” and “seek the permission of someone” as formal variants. This confirms that “seeks” is the most accurate and idiomatic choice among the options.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“asks”: While “ask permission” is correct, “asks the permission of his mother” is slightly awkward in this exact structure. In exam settings, the best collocation is usually preferred. “receives”: Focuses on the result (getting permission) rather than the repeated action of requesting it. The adverb “always” also suggests an active repeated effort, which suits “seeks”. “soughts”: An incorrect and non-existent form; the past tense of “seek” is “sought”, not “soughts”.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often think that “John as well as his friends” makes the subject plural and choose a plural verb form. Remember that with expressions like “as well as”, “along with”, and “together with”, the verb agrees with the first noun. Another trap is ignoring collocation and choosing any verb that appears grammatically possible. In vocabulary-sensitive exams, collocation is a strong clue to the intended answer.

Final Answer:
The correct verb is seeks, so the complete sentence is “John as well as his friends always seeks the permission of his mother before going for a rugby match.”