The number of people

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The number of people

by yellowho » Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:38 pm
Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machine, many travelers will still use travel agents

A) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machine, many travelers will

B) growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would

C) growing number of people purchasing plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, many travelers will

D) fact that the number of people purchasing plane tickets online is growing, airline execituves are convinced, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers as compared to automatic teller machines, that many travelers would

E) fact that the number of people who purchase plane tickets online are growing, airline executives are convinced that, just as obe-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers compared with automatic teller machines, many travelers would

Isn't "the [growing] number of people" singular? So shouldn't it be "THE growing number of people who purchaseS?". I know its not underlined so it must be correct. Just wondering why I am wrong here.
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by ankur.agrawal » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:01 pm
Who is purchasing the ticket ? It is the 'people' who are purchasing the tickets not 'the number of people' & people is considered as plural.

Does that makes sense?

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by yellowho » Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:04 pm
yes. thansk.

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by AIM GMAT » Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:04 am
The question is as mentioned below :-

Despite the growing number of people who purchase plane tickets online, airline executives are convinced that, just as one-third of bank customers still prefer human tellers to automatic teller machines, many travelers will still use travel agents.

So you are right the 'growing number of people ' is singular .

IMO A. Although i caught up with C as well ,but the use of would wil be wrong in this case .
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by gmat_perfect » Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:05 am
E and D are out because of using "despite the fact that".

C is out for not using "that" in convinced that....

B is out for using "would".

If the sentence were:

Executives were convinced that many travelers would..., then "would" would be correct.


Thanks.

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by aspirant2011 » Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:25 am
Hi Gmat_perfect,

don't you think that in A "human tellers" i.e plural word is wrongly compared to singular word "automatic teller machine"??????

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by tetura84 » Fri Mar 18, 2011 8:39 am
aspirant2011 wrote:Hi Gmat_perfect,

don't you think that in A "human tellers" i.e plural word is wrongly compared to singular word "automatic teller machine"??????
No, in case of comparison, we should focus more on the ideas (if they are similar or not) than on count

But I don't understand why D and E are wrong. Is it because of redundancy?

Despite the fact that ..... = redundant ?
Despite .... = correct ?

also, why that is needed after convinced? is it a subjunctive mood?
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