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Scotland Salmon

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Scotland Salmon

by amysky_0205 » Tue Jan 29, 2013 6:07 am
In Scotland, the number of wild salmon have been reduced because of uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting, by pollution, and by various other threats to the fish's habitat.

A. number of wild salmon have been reduced because of uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting
B. number of wild salmon is reduced because deep-sea and coastal netting is not controlled
C. numbers of wild salmon has been reduced because of uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting
D. wild salmon's numbers are reduced by deep-sea and coastal netting that is not controlled
E. wild salmon's numbers have been reduced by uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting.


OA:E

can someone explain this one?

I would also like to ask the use of "the number of" and "X's number/numbers".

thank u!!
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by bpolley00 » Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:18 am
Amysky_0205,

This is a tough one, I got E though and so I will explain my mental process; although, I could be wrong as I am not an expert.

A) This does not have correct subject verb agreement. The number has been reduced. The number is singlular vs A number which is plural. A number of salmon have been reduced. Also, the parallel structure is incorrect toward the end of the sentence.
B) This is weird constructure with IS being there.
C) Subject- verb agreement. Also, it is The number not the Numbers.
D) This isn't parallel
E)Wild Salmon's numbers have been . The subject in this sentence is numbers which uses the correct verb have. By unctronolled deep-sea and costal netting ( I assume you mean to use a comma :)), by pollution, and by various are all parallel.

To Sum up my thoughts:

The number takes a singular verb. The number of children has increased.
A Number takes a plural verb. A number of congressman have lied under oath. A number of people have disagreed with the current legislation to tighten gun control laws.

I hope that helps

-BP
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by Tommy Wallach » Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:28 pm
Hey Guys,

Great explanation from BP here, but due to the ickiness of this question, I wanted to weigh in:
In Scotland, the number of wild salmon have been reduced because of uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting, by pollution, and by various other threats to the fish's habitat.

A. number of wild salmon have been reduced because of uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting
B. number of wild salmon is reduced because deep-sea and coastal netting is not controlled
C. numbers of wild salmon has been reduced because of uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting
D. wild salmon's numbers are reduced by deep-sea and coastal netting that is not controlled
E. wild salmon's numbers have been reduced by uncontrolled deep-sea and coastal netting.
A) As was said, "number" is the subject here. Also, the use of "because" is incorrect. You wouldn't say, "My head was chopped off because of that axe." The deep-sea/coastal netting are the actual TOOL that is doing the reducing, not the REASON the number are being reduced (The reason would be population growth, or an increased demand for salmon). AND, as Bpolley mentioned, it's not parallel with the two "bys" that come later on.

B) The use of the present tense "is" here is strange, because this is an ongoing action, necessitating the present perfect. The use of "because" is slightly better in terms of meaning, but the parallel problem is still there.

C) As was said, "numbers" doesn't match with "has been reduced". The "because" issue is still there.

D) The use of the present tense is still wrong. The modifier "that" is weird here, because it kinda wants to modify both deep-sea and coastal netting, but then the verb should be "are".

E) Yay. I mean, Boo! It's definitely the right answer, but that subject is NASTY. "Wild salmon's numbers" is the worst possible way you could say that (correct would be "The number of wild salmon"). But it's stylistic, not technically grammatical, so we have to pick it. Yuck.

-t
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