Intervening Words

My brother, I think, ___ (is / are) very responsible.

The flowers, by the way, ___ (smells / smell) wonderful.

The team, as you can see, ___ (is / are) ready to compete.

The students, as you know, ___ (works / work) hard on their projects.

The cat, I’m sure, ___ (sleep / sleeps) all day.

The boys, I believe, ___ (was / were) playing basketball earlier.

The car, to my surprise, ___ (run / runs) smoothly despite its age.

The members, according to the leader, ___ (has / have) agreed on the proposal.

The principal, as well as the teachers, ___ (attends / attend) the meeting every Monday.

The teacher, together with her assistants, ___ (check / checks) the test papers.