BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem
TTP OnDemand GMAT Video Course
Featured Course

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Scott Woodbury-Stewart’s private virtual classroom — 400 hours of master-class video lessons for the GMAT Focus Edition.

  • 715+ score guarantee — highest in the industry (99th percentile)
  • 52 chapters · 1,500+ lessons · 4,000+ practice questions
  • 400 hours of video · 1,500+ instructor-led HD smartboard lessons
  • 300,000+ students accepted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Booth & Sloan & more
  • 24/7 live support + weekly Zoom office hours with GMAT instructors
  • TTP AI Assist — 24/7 AI-powered virtual tutor for instant help
  • 1,200+ flashcards + AI-powered study assistant & daily calendar
  • OnDemand, LiveTeach & GMAT Bootcamp formats available
  • Also: GRE, SAT Math & Executive Assessment courses
  • MBA Admissions Consulting now available
  • 🏆 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award: Test Prep Solution Provider of the Year
  • 200,000+ students served
  • 5-day free trial — $0 to start, no auto-billing, cancel anytime
★★★★★ 5.0 (559 reviews)
130-pt guarantee
$0 to start then $127/mo
Start Free 5-Day Trial Read 559 Reviews →

Subject-Verb agreement

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2011 3:48 pm
by gmatisgay » Sun Aug 07, 2011 7:31 pm
Soaring costs for gasoline and oil, the essential resources allowing car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is leading to increased popular support for new government initiatives to develop alternative and renewable energy sources.

A
the essential resources allowing car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is

B
the essential resources used by car owners to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is

C
the essential resources enabling car owners to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is

D
the essential resources enabling car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, are

E
the essential resources used by car owners to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, are

OA is E
But here I thought soaring costs is the SINGLE reason leading to increased popular support for new government initiatives to develop alternative and renewable energy sources. Therefore the verb should be singular, right??

question from Grockit
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 43
Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:37 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 8 times

by champ0007 » Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:10 pm
All the other choics A C D are ruled out for wrong idiomatic usage

I was also confused between B and E

Though "Soaring Costs" looks like an action noun but we are talking about 2 costs separately here, that of oil and gasoline ... therefore plural verb fits well.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 217
Joined: Tue May 31, 2011 9:42 pmFollowed by: 2 members
Thanked: 8 times

by garima99 » Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:15 pm
Soaring costs for gasoline and oil, the essential resources allowing car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is leading to increased popular support for new government initiatives to develop alternative and renewable energy sources.

A
the essential resources allowing car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles,is

B
the essential resources used by car owners to fuel and lubricate their automobiles,is

C
the essential resources enabling car owners to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is

D
the essential resources enabling car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, are

E
the essential resources used by car owners to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, are
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 344
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:40 amFollowed by: 3 members
Thanked: 28 times
GMAT Score:700

by sunnyjohn » Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:33 pm
Hi gmatisgay,

This is a very simple question if you know one "stopsign". It took me only 12 seconds to solve this question.

Stop Sign - "Whenever you see a long modifier in the middle of a sentence, it must be checking -"Subject-Verb agreement".

Soaring costs for gasoline and oil, the essential resources allowing car owners to be able to fuel and lubricate their automobiles, is leading to increased popular support for new government initiatives to develop alternative and renewable energy sources.

Subject of the sentence: costs ( Plural )

A,B,C - out, because costs is ( WRONG )

Out of D and E -
D: Enabling car owners to be able to
It is eliminated because of redundancy.

This left with E as answer.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 516
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:22 pmFollowed by: 13 members
Thanked: 112 times

by smackmartine » Sun Aug 07, 2011 8:45 pm
@gmatisgay,

I guess "soaring" tipped you off. Soaring is just an adjective that modifies "costs". Always concentrate on the main subject. "Costs" is the main subject that is plural, and hence are should be the verb .
Smack is Back ...
It takes time and effort to explain, so if my comment helped you please press Thanks button :)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 407
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:19 amFollowed by: 7 members
Thanked: 25 times

by Ozlemg » Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:00 am
"The soar in the costs is" would be correct...
The more you suffer before the test, the less you will do so in the test! :)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 2330
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 5:14 amFollowed by: 26 members
Thanked: 56 times

by mundasingh123 » Mon Aug 08, 2011 7:05 am
champ0007 wrote:All the other choics A C D are ruled out for wrong idiomatic usage

I was also confused between B and E

Though "Soaring Costs" looks like an action noun but we are talking about 2 costs separately here, that of oil and gasoline ... therefore plural verb fits well.
Soaring costs is not an action noun . It is adjective + Noun
I Seek Explanations Not Answers
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1