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

Redeem

[high difficulty] sc question

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 405
Joined: Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:44 am
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:1 members

[high difficulty] sc question

by voodoo_child » Sun Jun 05, 2011 5:25 pm
Because it reckoned the avant-garde staging of Swan Lake as not only its greatest but also its most lucrative triumph of the preceding year, the ballet troupe's Board of Directors unanimously voted to reengage the controversial choreographer for another season.

Is this sentence correct ? Can you please explain why "it" shouldnt be "they" ?
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 965
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:52 am
Thanked: 156 times
Followed by:34 members
GMAT Score:720

by vineeshp » Sun Jun 05, 2011 6:08 pm
You have a point.

If the subject is the ballet troupe's Board of Directors, then it should be replaced with they. Simply put, it has no antecedent in the sentence. It must refer to the ballet group but it is not a subject here. I concur.

What's the source of this sentence.
Vineesh,
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert. :)
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:44 am
Thanked: 9 times
Followed by:1 members
GMAT Score:610

by singh181 » Sun Jun 05, 2011 7:37 pm
Hey Vineeshp,

I dont agree with your first point. "Board of Directors" are acting as a single unit, so it is singular not plural here.

I agree that "it" is no referent here. It is suppose to point to "troupe", but are missing the noun.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 174
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:41 pm
Thanked: 6 times
Followed by:1 members

by sanabk » Sun Jun 05, 2011 9:30 pm
Read the sentence as:
The ballet troupe's Board of Directors unanimously voted to reengage the controversial choreographer for another season, because it reckoned the avant-garde staging of Swan Lake as not only its greatest but also its most lucrative triumph of the preceding year.

Best!!!
Top
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 87
Joined: Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:36 am
Thanked: 3 times
Followed by:1 members

by siddus » Mon Jun 06, 2011 2:11 am
singh181 wrote:Hey Vineeshp,

I dont agree with your first point. "Board of Directors" are acting as a single unit, so it is singular not plural here.

I agree that "it" is no referent here. It is suppose to point to "troupe", but are missing the noun.
Agree with point 1 that the board is a single unit and hence must be referred to by "it" and not "them". Other examples: A class of students, an army of soldiers, a pack of wolves etc. is all singular.

Dont agree with point 2. "it" and "its" both refer to the "Board of Directors". It is supposed to point to the board of directors and not troupe i.e. the troupe did not reckon and vote to reengage the choreographer but the board of directors of the troupe did so.

hope that helps.
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 641
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:07 pm
Location: Madison, WI
Thanked: 162 times
Followed by:45 members
GMAT Score:760

by Jim@Grockit » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:36 am
In American English, groups like "board" and "team" are mostly singular nouns even though they are made up of people. In British English they are often plural. The GMAT follows the conventions of American English.
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1