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Subject - Verb Agree Or Not

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Subject - Verb Agree Or Not

by eastcoastrocks » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:37 am
A) Just on the intersection is a café and a salon.
B) Just on the intersection are a café and a salon.

Which one is correct? I feel it should be A) since the nearest subject here to the verb "IS" is a café and "a café" is singular. Please reply.
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by mundasingh123 » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:41 am
eastcoastrocks wrote:A) Just on the intersection is a café and a salon.
B) Just on the intersection are a café and a salon.

Which one is correct? I feel it should be A) since the nearest subject here to the verb "IS" is a café and "a café" is singular. Please reply.
Just on the intersect is a cafe and salon
Just on the intersect are a cafe and a salon
The article before salon counts . In the second sentence the present of the article a makes it clear that the cafe and salon are different corporations
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
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by e-GMAT » Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:56 am
This sentence is an example in which the order of subject and verb is changed. In such scenarios (and otherwise as well), it is best to first identify the verb and then the subject.

Verb - IS
Subject - Ask the question - Who/what is performing the action represented by the identified verb -
What IS? A café and a salon IS just around the corner.

As you can see the subject is - a café and a salon = Singular noun and Singular noun = PLURAL NOUN

So the correct sentence is
A café and a salon ARE just on the intersection.
OR
Just on the intersection ARE a café and a salon.

Thanks,

Payal
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