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Few composers - (Subject/Verb Agreement Confusion)

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by raj44 » Thu May 29, 2014 8:42 pm
Few composers have been celebrated for their lyric writing as much as the lyrics of Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling.

A. Few composers have been celebrated for their lyric writing as much as the lyrics of Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling.
B.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling has been celebrated for his lyric writing as few composers have.
C.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling has been celebrated for his lyric writing more than few composers have.
D.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling has been celebrated for his lyric writing as few composers has been.
E.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling have been celebrated for lyric writing as few composers have.

OA B, but I marked the answer as E, since we have two nouns

Elizabethan composer,lutenist John Dowling joined by additive phrase and ; therefore it must require the plural verb form have rather than has.

Please explain the ambiguity here;

Thanks
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Source: — Sentence Correction |

by [email protected] » Thu May 29, 2014 9:04 pm
Hi raj44,

This sentence has just ONE subject: John Dowling. He is described as an "Elizabethan composer and lutenist", meaning he is both of those things. The phrase "Elizabethan composer" is a description, not a subject.

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Rich
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by raj44 » Thu May 29, 2014 9:12 pm
Hi Rich,

Thanks for the explanation. My bad-didn't read the sentence properly.



[email protected] wrote:Hi raj44,

This sentence has just ONE subject: John Dowling. He is described as an "Elizabethan composer and lutenist", meaning he is both of those things. The phrase "Elizabethan composer" is a description, not a subject.

GMAT assassins aren't born, they're made,
Rich
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by AnjaliOberoi » Thu May 29, 2014 10:23 pm
+1 for {B}
A. Few composers have been celebrated for their lyric writing as much as the lyrics of Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling.
B.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling has been celebrated for his lyric writing as few composers have.- correct
C.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling has been celebrated for his lyric writing more than few composers have.
D.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling has been celebrated for his lyric writing as few composers has been.
E.Elizabethan composer and lutenist John Dowling have been celebrated for lyric writing as few composers have.
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