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by pkonduri » Tue May 04, 2010 12:57 pm
According to scientists at the University of California, the pattern of changes that have occurred in human DNA over the millennia indicate the possibility that everyone alive today might be descended from a single female ancestor who lived in Africa sometime between 140,000 and 280,000 years ago.
(A) indicate the possibility that everyone alive today might be descended from a single female ancestor who
(B) indicate that everyone alive today might possibly be a descendant of a single female ancestor who had
(C) may indicate that everyone alive today has descended from a single female ancestor who had
(D) indicates that everyone alive today may be a descendant of a single female ancestor who
(E) indicates that everyone alive today might be a descendant from a single female ancestor who

In the above question is "pattern of changes" singular or plural, as in the question "pattern of changes is followed by HAVE"

In know in general it should be treated as singular but in the question the usage of HAVE is confusing me.

Thanks for your time.
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Source: — Sentence Correction |

by analyst218 » Tue May 04, 2010 1:10 pm
pkonduri wrote:According to scientists at the University of California, the pattern of changes that have occurred in human DNA over the millennia indicate the possibility that everyone alive today might be descended from a single female ancestor who lived in Africa sometime between 140,000 and 280,000 years ago.
(A) indicate the possibility that everyone alive today might be descended from a single female ancestor who
(B) indicate that everyone alive today might possibly be a descendant of a single female ancestor who had
(C) may indicate that everyone alive today has descended from a single female ancestor who had
(D) indicates that everyone alive today may be a descendant of a single female ancestor who
(E) indicates that everyone alive today might be a descendant from a single female ancestor who

In the above question is "pattern of changes" singular or plural, as in the question "pattern of changes is followed by HAVE"

In know in general it should be treated as singular but in the question the usage of HAVE is confusing me.

Thanks for your time.
pattern of changes is singular.
imo D. descendant of sounds correct as opposed to descendant from/
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by pkonduri » Tue May 04, 2010 1:21 pm
What I tried to ask here is usage of "pattern of changes" with have in the question, I agree pattern of changes is singular but why is have used instead of has in the question?
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by analyst218 » Tue May 04, 2010 1:23 pm
pkonduri wrote:What I tried to ask here is usage of "pattern of changes" with have in the question, I agree pattern of changes is singular but why is have used instead of has in the question?
because it is the "changes" that have occured not the pattern. everything after pattern is associated with pattern thus doesn't matter whether its singular or plural..
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by debmalya_dutta » Tue May 04, 2010 1:26 pm
Yep agree that IMO is D

but
pattern of changes that have occurred - its have (plural) because "changes" is plural . "that" is modifying the "changes" and hence usage of plural
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by analyst218 » Tue May 04, 2010 1:27 pm
pkonduri wrote:What I tried to ask here is usage of "pattern of changes" with have in the question, I agree pattern of changes is singular but why is have used instead of has in the question?
crossing off everything from "of... millenia" will make your life easier..
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by pkonduri » Tue May 04, 2010 1:57 pm
Ok. Now I understood why have was used instead of has. Thanks for your time.
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by pkonduri » Thu May 06, 2010 2:48 pm
debmalya_dutta wrote:Yep agree that IMO is D

but
pattern of changes that have occurred - its have (plural) because "changes" is plural . "that" is modifying the "changes" and hence usage of plural

I have come cross a similar situation again but with different explanation for it.

Sentence:

In addition to the increase in hourly wages that were requested last July

"that" in the above sentence modifies wages, so usage of were is right?

So the explanation given here is "that" modifies increase in hourly changes so "was" has to be used.

Now if the above explanation is true then "pattern of changes" has to be followed by "has" and not have.

any thoughts?
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