BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Can someone help me with these two sentences

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:30 am

Can someone help me with these two sentences

by MTariq » Fri Mar 05, 2010 9:31 am
A majority of railway commuters reads or listens to music while travelling
A majority of railway commuters read or listen to music while travelling


Which one is correct among two


Also,
Planting all these seeds is more involved than I thought
planting all these seed are more involved than I thought

which one is correct and why?
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1578
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 8:02 am
Thanked: 128 times
Followed by:34 members
GMAT Score:760

by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:05 am
Not sure about the first, but with the second sentence, the first one is correct. When a gerund is the subject of a sentence it is almost always singular.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/the-retake-o ... 51414.html

Brandon Dorsey
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep

Buy any Veritas Prep book(s) and receive access to 5 Practice Cats for free! Learn More.
Top
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1578
Joined: Thu May 28, 2009 8:02 am
Thanked: 128 times
Followed by:34 members
GMAT Score:760

by Osirus@VeritasPrep » Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:10 am
I think with the first sentence the answer is B. I think with collective nouns that represent a part whole relationship, the verb depends on whether what follows majority, minority, etc is singular or plural.
https://www.beatthegmat.com/the-retake-o ... 51414.html

Brandon Dorsey
GMAT Instructor
Veritas Prep

Buy any Veritas Prep book(s) and receive access to 5 Practice Cats for free! Learn More.
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 79
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2010 9:41 am

by Rajat Khandelwal » Fri Mar 05, 2010 10:58 am
i think in both questions...option A is better. In first one, the sentence talks about the majority--a group-- rather than individuals.
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 62
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 1:11 am
Thanked: 3 times
GMAT Score:730

by bigmonkey31 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:48 am
I think in the 'majority' example, the 2nd is correct, because it uses the term 'a majority'. My reasoning is that it can be treated similar to the rules for 'number' (i.e. A number of people ARE... the number of people IS).

With respect to the 2nd example, you use a singular noun with gerunds (as stated above)
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 1:49 am
Thanked: 9 times
Followed by:3 members

by kaulnikhil » Fri Mar 05, 2010 12:07 pm
MTariq wrote:A majority of railway commuters reads or listens to music while travelling
A majority of railway commuters read or listen to music while travelling


Which one is correct among two


Also,
Planting all these seeds is more involved than I thought
planting all these seed are more involved than I thought

which one is correct and why?
A majority of students : is a quantatative modifier
hance it will take tha verb according to the noun modifying it . Here the noun railway commuters is close to verb . Hence are is perfect
However if it had been:
The students majority then is fine . as here majority is close to the verb


The second case
Planting all these seeds is more involved than I though

Planting is the subject of the verb . What is more involved than I thought ? Planting
Hence is the correct form of verb
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:30 am

by MTariq » Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:08 pm
Thank you everyone!!

Here is another one

I dont understand why me and Bob always have to take out the garbage
I dont understand why I and Bob always have to take out the garbage.

Which one is right and why
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 2326
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:54 am
Thanked: 173 times
Followed by:2 members
GMAT Score:710

by gmatmachoman » Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:39 pm
MTariq wrote:Thank you everyone!!

Here is another one

I dont understand why me and Bob always have to take out the garbage

Correct: I is the subject and "me and Bob "are objects


I dont understand why I and Bob always have to take out the garbage.

Which one is right and why
Top
Legendary Member
Posts: 610
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 12:33 am
Thanked: 47 times
Followed by:2 members

by kstv » Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:57 pm
I dont understand why me and Bob always have to take out the garbage
I dont understand why I and Bob always have to take out the garbage.
Concept being tested in that of Pronoun case.
In the sentence Me/I and Bob is the subject. I is a subject pronoun while me is a object pronoun. So I is the better option.
Rephrase the sentence
The garbage has to be taken out by me and Bob, I don't understand why.
Here I is wrong.
Going back to the previous two posts , I did not see the OA.
Planting all these seeds is more involved than I thought
planting all these seed are more involved than I thought
Can I substitute involved with taxing? then it is clearly is not are. The rule about gerund is also imp.
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1