The correct answer is Option 2 i.e Seems to have [ alt="clipboard" src="//storage.googleapis.com/tb-img/production/20/08/clipboard.png" style="width: 40px; height: 40px; float: left;">Explanation Looking at the above sentence we find that: The subject in the sentence is singular which is 'performance' Thus the verb should be singular too which is 'seems'. The given sentence is in the present, thus Option 3 Seemed to is incorrect here. Option 1 Seemingly is an adverb and hence incorrect. Here we see that Option 2 Seems to have is the only option that fulfils the above rule, and therefore is the correct answer. Thus the correct sentence will be: For a change, performance, and not political expedience, seems to have dictated the nature and extent of the shuffle in the Council of Ministers.