Sentence Correction

Two similar constructions testing same concept-Confused
A question from MGMAT -

What concern scientists the most about global warming are the risks that the polar ice caps will melt, the seas will grow too warm to sustain marine life, and that violent weather patterns may result.

Here is the explanation I found -

From there, the key is to identify the subject. Ask yourself, What concern/concerns scientists? The answer is the risks, a plural subject. So, the verb is ARE

However, if I look at this sentence from OG -VR2

The period when the great painted caves at Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are the reason for their decoration, the use to which primitive people put the caves, and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

The correct Answer is -
B) has been established by carbon 14 dating but what is much more difficult to determine is


Here is the explanation I found -

The subject of the quoted clause is the short clause "what is much more difficult to determine". And clause is always Singular. Hence verb should be "IS"

My doubt is -

I found the above two questions testing the same concept.
However, one question i.e VR 2 question taking the subject as "WHAT" and the other one taking the subject as RISKS. Can expert please explain why in one question we are taking the forward construction and in other we are looking at the reverse construction. Please explain.

Thanks

Subtle changes and the nuances on what GMAT thrives.

I will try to explain in my way. Let us see if you are convinced. Let us try to rephrase the first sentence about risks.

What concern scientists the most about global warming are the risks that the polar ice caps will melt...

Here if u rephrase this sentence.

Three risks concern the scientists. What are the risks? They are 1) Polar ice cap, 2) warm seas and 3) violent weather patterns. Risks is a plural word and hence concern. Agree?


Now from the next sentence. I assume reason is outside the underlined portion. I am not too sure that OG's explanation makes sense to me.

But anyway... the question can be rephrased as:
What is difficult to determine? A reason about something.
If you think about it... What are the reason difficult to determine does not make sense.

Another example:
"Going to the park is the reason she gave to avoid Sam and meet Shawn"

Also, There may surely be a way to improve this sentence overall. But we have to stick with whatever is underlined.

imhimanshu wrote:Two similar constructions testing same concept-Confused
A question from MGMAT -

What concern scientists the most about global warming are the risks that the polar ice caps will melt, the seas will grow too warm to sustain marine life, and that violent weather patterns may result.

Here is the explanation I found -

From there, the key is to identify the subject. Ask yourself, What concern/concerns scientists? The answer is the risks, a plural subject. So, the verb is ARE

However, if I look at this sentence from OG -VR2

The period when the great painted caves at Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine are the reason for their decoration, the use to which primitive people put the caves, and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

The correct Answer is -
B) has been established by carbon 14 dating but what is much more difficult to determine is


Here is the explanation I found -

The subject of the quoted clause is the short clause "what is much more difficult to determine". And clause is always Singular. Hence verb should be "IS"

My doubt is -

I found the above two questions testing the same concept.
However, one question i.e VR 2 question taking the subject as "WHAT" and the other one taking the subject as RISKS. Can expert please explain why in one question we are taking the forward construction and in other we are looking at the reverse construction. Please explain.

Thanks

Just keep the verbs consistent.

In the MGMAT sentence, the verb concern is plural, indicating that what is plural. Thus, all the verbs must be plural: what concern scientists...are the risks.

The subject of the OG sentence -- what is much more difficult -- includes the singular verb is, indicating that what is singular. Thus, all the verbs must be singular: what is much more difficult...is the reason.

@Vineeshp:

But anyway... the question can be rephrased as:
What is difficult to determine? A reason about something.
If you think about it... What are the reason difficult to determine does not make sense.

I think you are wrong here because what is diffuclt to determine is not ONLY th Reason but the list comprised of three items : 1. the reason for their decoration, 2. the use to which primitive people put the caves, and 3. the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals

@GMATGuruNY

What concern scientists the most about global warming

is not a clause in my opinion as it is missing part of the verb DO.

Following your logic, a clause can not be treated as a singular noun always ? Could you please explain a bit more , I am utterly confused

GMATMadeEasy wrote:@Vineeshp:

But anyway... the question can be rephrased as:
What is difficult to determine? A reason about something.
If you think about it... What are the reason difficult to determine does not make sense.

I think you are wrong here because what is diffuclt to determine is not ONLY th Reason but the list comprised of three items : 1. the reason for their decoration, 2. the use to which primitive people put the caves, and 3. the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals

@GMATGuruNY

What concern scientists the most about global warming

is not a clause in my opinion as it is missing part of the verb DO.

Following your logic, a clause can not be treated as a singular noun always ? Could you please explain a bit more , I am utterly confused

What is a pronoun that can be singular or plural.

In the MGMAT sentence, the verb in the subject clause (concern) is plural, implying that what is plural. Thus, any verb attributed to what must be plural:

What concern scientists...are the risks.

The sentence above feels awkward to me, but it's not grammatically incorrect.

In the OG sentence, the verb in the subject clause (is) is singular, implying that what is singular. Thus, any verb attributed to what must be singular:

What is much more difficult to determine...is the reason....

The sentence above feels much more natural to me.

The verbs must be consistent. The sentence cannot say what concern X...is Y or what is X...are Y. In any given structure, what is either singular or plural; it cannot be both.

No, I am not.

Mitch has already answered it. We are talking about the reason and hence we have to stick with IS.

Anticipating a doubt from you, I went to the extent of telling that this sentence may have a less wordier construction. But we are not afforded that luxury here. We have to work with the answer choices. And the answer choice that best fits is the one you mentioned.

@Mitch

In the OG sentence, the verb is is singular, implying that what is much more difficult to determine = one thing that is much more difficult to determine. Moreover, what refers to the singular noun reason, so what is clearly being used in a singular sense. For both these reasons, the sentence must say:
What is much more difficult to determine...is the reason.

This is interesting. If we look at the structure, it refers to three things that are difficult to determins NOT just THE reason :

1. the reason for their decoration,
2. the use to which primitive people put the caves,
3. and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

How do you infer that it refers only to the reason. May be i am missing something.

GMATMadeEasy wrote:@Mitch

In the OG sentence, the verb is is singular, implying that what is much more difficult to determine = one thing that is much more difficult to determine. Moreover, what refers to the singular noun reason, so what is clearly being used in a singular sense. For both these reasons, the sentence must say:
What is much more difficult to determine...is the reason.

This is interesting. If we look at the structure, it refers to three things that are difficult to determins NOT just THE reason :

1. the reason for their decoration,
2. the use to which primitive people put the caves,
3. and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

How do you infer that it refers only to the reason. May be i am missing something.

Your list is accurate; when I posted, I hadn't seen the rest of the sentence. But the nouns that follow the verb are immaterial here. Since the verb in the subject clause is singular -- what is hard to determine -- all the verbs attributed to what must also be singular:

What is hard to determine...is the reason...

Thanks GMATGuru. It makes sense to me.

@Mitch: Ok, thanks for the edited post. That is the way I was treating this question .

To make sure, i have understood the logic given related to following singularity/plurality of the wh-clause , I have modified the question .

What DOES concern scientists the most about global warming are the risks that the polar ice caps will melt, the seas will grow too warm to sustain marine life, and that violent weather patterns may result.

Question: 1. What would be the be verb now ? IS or ARE ? why ?

Also consider a scenario when we can't predict the singularity or plurality without looking at the part after verb:

What software manufacturers pray for is/are a hot selling product like Quicken, a rising economy, and an average person's rising interest in technologies .

What should be the verb in above question ?

GMATMadeEasy wrote:@Mitch: Ok, thanks for the edited post. That is the way I was treating this question .

To make sure, i have understood the logic given related to following singularity/plurality of the wh-clause , I have modified the question .

What DOES concern scientists the most about global warming are the risks that the polar ice caps will melt, the seas will grow too warm to sustain marine life, and that violent weather patterns may result.

Question: 1. What would be the be verb now ? IS or ARE ? why ?

Also consider a scenario when we can't predict the singularity or plurality without looking at the part after verb:

What software manufacturers pray for is/are a hot selling product like Quicken, a rising economy, and an average person's rising interest in technologies .

What should be the verb in above question ?

Let's keep it simple.

A subject clause is almost always considered singular.

When a subject clause refers to several things, it may be considered plural:

What my wife brought were my hat and my gloves.

Such a construction is rare. You should be skeptical of an answer choice that assigns a plural verb to a subject clause.

One exception: if the pronoun what is given a plural verb within the subject clause itself, then the subject clause is considered plural:

What concern scientists are X, Y and Z.

GMATGuruNY wrote: When a subject clause refers to several things, it may be considered plural:

What my wife brought were my hat and my gloves.

Hi Mitch, a quick question. In view of the first post's comment about the correct OG answer as:

The period when the great painted caves at Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine is the reason for their decoration, the use to which primitive people put the caves, and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

It looks like even if subject clause refers to several things, GMAT still considers it singular.

EducationAisle wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote: When a subject clause refers to several things, it may be considered plural:

What my wife brought were my hat and my gloves.

Hi Mitch, a quick question. In view of the first post's comment about the correct OG answer as:

The period when the great painted caves at Lascaux and Altamira were occupied by Upper Paleolithic people has been established by carbon-14 dating, but what is much more difficult to determine is the reason for their decoration, the use to which primitive people put the caves, and the meaning of the magnificently depicted animals.

It looks like even if subject clause refers to several things, GMAT still considers it singular.

In the SC above, what is given a singular verb (is) within the subject clause itself. Since what cannot be both singular and plural within the same grammatical structure, the verb assigned to the entire subject clause must also be singular: what is X...is Y.

GMAT is not bound by this one example, however; the test could still offer an OA in which a subject clause is treated as plural.

Situations in which a subject clause is more likely to be considered plural:

-- A non-linking verb (such as concern in the MGMAT sentence and brought in my sentence) is contained within the subject clause itself
-- The subject clause refers to several things, especially concrete objects (such as the hat and the gloves that my wife brought)

Subject clause + plural verb is an awkward structure. As I noted above, I would be very skeptical of an answer choice that assigns a plural verb to a subject clause.

Mitch Sir, I have noted from somewhere that noun clause is always singular. This leads me to believe that the sentence should be:

What my wife brought was my hat and my gloves.

However, the following sentence from MGMAT confuses me:

What concern scientists the most about global warming are the risks that the polar ice caps will melt, the seas will grow too warm to sustain marine life, and that violent weather patterns may result.

What I think is:

1. The sentence should read What concerns scientists the most about global warming. Basically there are many things that concern the scientists; out of all those things, clearly there must be something that concerns them the most. You cannot have many things concerning you the most.

2. Since the sentence starts with a noun clause, the noun clause should be singular and so, the correct sentence should be:

What concerns scientists the most about global warming is the risks..

Request Ron Sir or some esteemed MGMAT instructor to clarify the doubts.