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Rule -Phrase & Clause acting as Subject alwys tk Singlr

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Rule -Phrase & Clause acting as Subject alwys tk Singlr

by chaitanya.mehrotra » Sun May 15, 2011 5:41 am
I have read in Manhattan GMAT book that Phrase and Clause acting as Subject alwys tk Singlr Verb. Is this always the case?

Can someone please clarify below two options:

The last chapter of the book is always interesting. { The last chapter of the book - Phrase, so verb is singular...IS}

The last chapters of the book is/are always interesting. { The last chapter of the book - Phrase, so verb is singular...IS but using the EAR...it sounds incorrect and i believe ARE is suitable}
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by vineeshp » Sun May 15, 2011 7:07 am
The last chapters ... are interesting.

The problem is that "the last chapters of the book" is not a clause.

What the book says is phrase/clause. It should contain a verb.

Doing exerice is good.
Reading books IS good.
Reading a book is good.
Vineesh,
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert. :)
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by sameerballani » Sun May 15, 2011 11:32 am
chaitanya.mehrotra wrote:I have read in Manhattan GMAT book that Phrase and Clause acting as Subject alwys tk Singlr Verb. Is this always the case?

Can someone please clarify below two options:

The last chapter of the book is always interesting. { The last chapter of the book - Phrase, so verb is singular...IS}

The last chapters of the book is/are always interesting. { The last chapter of the book - Phrase, so verb is singular...IS but using the EAR...it sounds incorrect and i believe ARE is suitable}
You must have read about eliminating the unnecessary(middlemen and warmup) stuff in the sentence. i feel of the book here plays the role of prepositional phrase, so eliminate it. Then it will sound simple/straight forward.

last chapter is interesting and last chapterS are interesting
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by Jim@Grockit » Sun May 15, 2011 4:12 pm
vineeshp wrote:The last chapters ... are interesting.

The problem is that "the last chapters of the book" is not a clause.

What the book says is phrase/clause. It should contain a verb.

Doing exerice is good.
Reading books IS good.
Reading a book is good.
This is exactly right, though AND can still make compound (and therefore plural) subjects:

Doing exercise and reading books are good ways to spend your time.
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