英文語法問題was還是 were?The front row of seats was/were deliberately left empty?

假如這是文法書或考試問題是有點自尋煩惱的錯問題，因為一般英語不會用the front row OF seats這樣寫/講的，

the front row seat是統稱第一行的所有座位，因此便是單數，
假如這句是以這格式和意思地說
The front row seat was left empty.
但玩文法的卻要把seat改為眾數的話，the front row seats對英語人的意思便是第一行的"所有座位"便是眾數詞，所以以這格式和意思地說
The front row seats were left empty.

至於你的題目
The front row of seats
應該是"古老"英語文法結構，那便按"古老"的文法規則X of y(s)便當作是X結集統稱，X是單數便是單數動詞was，假如X是雙數便是眾數動詞。

今時今天的英文應該是
The front row was left empty deliberately.

竟然有醬子 的題目! 真是可憐. 考官 是有點沒有良心的. 不過認真地說,這題目 真的是有問題.

1. 先說答案:
因為 主詞是 "the front row"是單數. 動詞當然也是 單數. 要用 was.

2. 這題的問題 出在 empty 的使用.
Empty是主詞捕語 用來形容 row. 在這裡要用 vacant.而不能用empty. Empty是指"空無一物"的空間.而那一排 因為有一排椅子,當然不是"空無一物".所以要用 "...was deliberately left vacant.

你先自己查字典.聊解一下 empty vacant的差別. 再來討論吧!

The front row of seats was/were deliberately left empty.

1. "The front row" is singular, so the verb should be singular as :
The front row of seats was deliberately left empty.


2. 查字典.了解(聊解)一下: (Longman dictionary)
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/seat
COLLOCATIONS –
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + SEAT
an empty/vacant seat
Patrick spotted an empty seat near the back.

Therefore, both adjectives (empty and vacant) should have the same meaning for describing a seat.

Also quoted from Longman:
In everyday English, people usually say that a seat or room is free rather than vacant:
Is this seat free?

3. 今時今天的英文應該是
- adverbs of manner are normally placed in front of the main verbs, as "deliberately left". (although it is not wrong to place it at the end...)
- it was the seats that were left empty but not the row. (row of what?)

所以應該是: Seats (all seats) in the front row were deliberately left empty.