Expert Replies needed: Advanced subject-verb agreement

Critical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension
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Dear GMAT experts,

I have a few questions regarding indefinite pronouns and quantity words.

1. Some SC guides state that to determine where SANAM pronouns are singular or plural, you can look at the Of phrase which usually follows the pronoun. However, what if no "of" phrase follows the pronoun?

Eg. Some are good to eat. (Does "some" become plural if there is no "of" phrase aft Likewise for the other SANAM pronouns...)

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2. Is the word, "group" a collective singular noun? I get the impression that it can be categorized as an idiomatic expression that designates quantity, but if that is the case, then the verb would be determined by the "of phrase." Is that correct?

Eg1. A group of soldiers [verb]... (is this plural or singular?)

Eg2. A group is going...

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3. Some SC guides state that subjects preceded by "each" are singular. However, what if you have a compound subject where one subject is preceded by "each" and the other is not:

Eg. Each dog and all of the cats [verb]... (is this subject singular or plural?)

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4. Some SC guides state that to find the subject, you flip certain sentences. For example, "there are 3 dogs." -> 3 dogs are there.

However, what if the sentence is more complex:

Eg. There are 3 apples or 1 pear.

Do you flip it like this:
3 apples or 1 pear is there.
or like this:
1 pear or 3 apples are there.

Do the two different ways result in different verbs because the verb tense depend on the last noun after the "or"? In other words, should the original sentence have a singular or plural verb?
Source: — Verbal Reasoning |

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by avik.ch » Tue Feb 14, 2012 2:34 am
Well, I am not an expert. But would like to throw some light on this.
workingonit wrote:Dear GMAT experts,

I have a few questions regarding indefinite pronouns and quantity words.

Eg. Some are good to eat. (Does "some" become plural if there is no "of" phrase aft Likewise for the other SANAM pronouns...)]
This is a wrong sentence --- What is the source

"Some" is an adjective, when it becomes a determiner. -- > some books, some pencil...an adjective cannot be a subject of any sentence.

"Some" can also be a pronoun --- > here the verb will take the form based on the plurality/singularity of the antecedent.
workingonit wrote: 2. Is the word, "group" a collective singular noun? I get the impression that it can be categorized as an idiomatic expression that designates quantity, but if that is the case, then the verb would be determined by the "of phrase." Is that correct?

Eg1. A group of soldiers [verb]... (is this plural or singular?)

Eg2. A group is going...]
Always a group is singular. In some instance it can be a plural( but this is not something that is tested in GMAT)

The team are fighting amongst themselves. ( since the fighting is taking place among team members, its important to show that the team consists of number of players - plural)

workingonit wrote: 3. Some SC guides state that subjects preceded by "each" are singular. However, what if you have a compound subject where one subject is preceded by "each" and the other is not:

Eg. Each dog and all of the cats [verb]... (is this subject singular or plural?)]
"And" signifies compound subject - treat it as --> X and Y + plural verb
workingonit wrote: 4. Some SC guides state that to find the subject, you flip certain sentences. For example, "there are 3 dogs." -> 3 dogs are there.

However, what if the sentence is more complex:

Eg. There are 3 apples or 1 pear.

Do you flip it like this:
3 apples or 1 pear is there.
or like this:
1 pear or 3 apples are there.

Do the two different ways result in different verbs because the verb tense depend on the last noun after the "or"? In other words, should the original sentence have a singular or plural verb?
IMO : When you join two subject with "or" - the verb closer to the verb determine the verb form ( S-V agreement). Here both are possible


Hope this helps some !!