one of the substances

This topic has expert replies
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 343
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:28 pm
Thanked: 4 times

one of the substances

by arorag » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:27 am
Biologists believe that they have found one of the substances that tell individual genes both when to become active and when to remain quiescent in the earliest phases of an embryo’s development.

(A) tell individual genes both when to become active and when to remain
(B) tell individual genes both at which time they should become active or should remain
(C) tells individual genes both when to become active or remain
(D) tells individual genes both when to become active or when to remain
(E) will tell an individual gene both about when it should become active and remain

one of the substances that tell/tells, one of construction singular/plura

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 132
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:31 am
Location: Portugal
Thanked: 7 times

by atlantic » Fri Jun 20, 2008 8:44 am
A for me.

'One of the substances' means that scientists expect or believe that there are more than one, so plural is necessary.

B is awkward and not parallel.
C singular
D singular
E will?? When? Doesn't make sence.

Anybody else? Pls post OA.

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:36 pm
Thanked: 6 times

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 438
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:44 am
Thanked: 26 times

by chidcguy » Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:45 am
As per GMAT one of the is always considered plural and needs a plural verb.

Correct?

Thanks

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 343
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:28 pm
Thanked: 4 times

by arorag » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:22 pm
Still not clear experts Please HELP!!!!

Legendary Member
Posts: 631
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:57 pm
Thanked: 29 times
Followed by:3 members

by netigen » Fri Jun 20, 2008 4:38 pm
Rule1: One of the X "that" means that the verb should agree with X

X in this case is substances so the verb will be "tell"

Keep A and B

Rule2: parallelism is required around both. The correct idiom is both X and Y where X and Y need to be parallel

Keep A

so from rule1 and rule2 we get correct ans A