Sentence Correction

According to industry analysts, the recent growth in the number of hybrid motor vehicles in major metropolitan areas are likely to accelerate in the future.



Singular subject "recent growth" does not agree in number with plural verb "are".

POE:
Choice A: SV number agreement error as discussed.

Choice B: Same SV error as in A.
Since there is going to be increase in the certain number of an entity, in this case hybrid vehicles that is a countable noun, the correct idiom to be used is "the number of X" which is singular. The sentence talks about increase in the specific number of a particular type of car. Hence the correct idiom to express is "the number of hybrid motor vehicles". Refer to OG Verbal2#6:
A Labor Department study states that the numbers of women employed outside the home grew by more than a thirty-five percent increase in the past decade and accounted for more than sixty-two percent of the total growth in the civilian workforce.
The correct choice reads: number of women employed outside the home increased by more than thirty-five percent

Choice C: Correct answer. SV agree in number, correct idiom.

Choice D: Incorrect idiom as in B.

Choice E: SV number agreement error as in A, usage of plural "numbers" is incorrect to denote a certain number.



1. SV must always agree in number.
2. When denoting a specific number of a countable noun, use the idiom "the number of X" which is singular.

Thanks.
Shraddha