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subject-verb agreement

by atsu4320 » Sat May 15, 2010 7:42 am
I have some trouble with subject-verb agreement. How come the verb "have" not "has"? The subject of the dependent clause is "the economy," so I thought verb should be "has" instead of "have."


The treaty specifies that the economy of the member nations have inflation rates of less than three percent and resist external tariffs.

a. economy of the member nations have inflation rates of less than three percent and resist

b. economy of each member nation have an inflation rate of less than three percent and be resistant to

c. every economy of the member nations have an inflation rate of less than three percent and be resistant to

d. economies of each member nation have inflation rates of three percent or less and are resistant to

e. economies of every member nation have three

Answer: b
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by sk818020 » Sat May 15, 2010 11:19 am
It has to do with the fact that verb mood is subjunctive. This is indicated by the subject specifying something. See which sounds correct to you

X specifies y has

X specifies y have

Because the verb should be in the subjunctive "X specifies y have" is correct. The reason is that the treaty is commanding the nations to do something. You can command something or someone to have something, but you cannot command someone to has something.
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by atsu4320 » Sat May 15, 2010 12:56 pm
Thanks for the reply.

It makes perfect sense. I thought about the verb may have been subjunctive when I found my answer was wrong. But I am still not sure if "specify" can be automatically regarded as subjunctive verb, or it just become subjunctive mood because of the context of the sentense (i.e."treaty")?


sk818020 wrote:It has to do with the fact that verb mood is subjunctive. This is indicated by the subject specifying something. See which sounds correct to you

X specifies y has

X specifies y have

Because the verb should be in the subjunctive "X specifies y have" is correct. The reason is that the treaty is commanding the nations to do something. You can command something or someone to have something, but you cannot command someone to has something.
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by tryingtocrack » Sat May 15, 2010 2:21 pm
Can you tell the source of the problem ?

I dont think it is related to subjunctive but it's "subject verb " problem as mentioned in the subject

See below the higlighted portion " Each member nation ..means there are multiple nations -- needs plural have " then
an inflation rate rate has to be singular. I hope this make sense

The treaty specifies that the economy of the member nations have inflation rates of less than three percent and resist external tariffs.

a. economy of the member nations have inflation rates of less than three percent and resist

b. economy of each member nation have an inflation rate of less than three percent and be resistant to

c. every economy of the member nations have an inflation rate of less than three percent and be resistant to

d. economies of each member nation have inflation rates of three percent or less and are resistant to

e. economies of every member nation have three
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by sk818020 » Sun May 16, 2010 12:29 pm
atsu4320 wrote:Thanks for the reply.

It makes perfect sense. I thought about the verb may have been subjunctive when I found my answer was wrong. But I am still not sure if "specify" can be automatically regarded as subjunctive verb, or it just become subjunctive mood because of the context of the sentense (i.e."treaty")?
Specify is not automatically subjunctive, only when specify is used in the sense that it is commanding something to do something, such as in this sentence.

For example;

I didn't know which he would specify. --- Obviously specify is not used in the subjunctive in this sentence. Specify is not used to command anything.

Hope that helps.

Jared
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by ansumania » Mon May 17, 2010 8:15 am
ok....agreed that here it is the 'subjunctive' use of specify

but does that call for use of 'have'...

it is ok to say 'if I were...' but I haven't heard anything like 'have' for subjunctive. will you pl. give one more eg.?
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by loveusonu » Mon May 17, 2010 1:51 pm
Yep, its subjective:
economy of each member nation have an inflation rate of less than three percent and be resistant to
Sonu
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When you want something desperately, the whole Universe conspires in helping to give it to you - The Alchemist
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