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 →

Singular / plural

Expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 231
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:45 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 5 times
by winnerhere » Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:42 pm
leaves of the tree that is

leaves of the tree that are

are both these constructions grammatically correct? in the first construction "that" refers to tree and in the second construction "that" refers to leaves.

Thanks,
Sai
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Source: — Sentence Correction |
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1309
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:34 amFollowed by: 123 members
Location: India
Thanked: 310 times
GMAT Score:750

by cans » Sat Jun 04, 2011 10:52 pm
Can you post the complete sentence??
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

Contact me about long distance tutoring!
[email protected]

Cans!!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 231
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:45 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 5 times

by winnerhere » Sat Jun 04, 2011 11:03 pm
Here you go

Fossils of the arm of a sloth found in Puerto Rico in
1991, and dated at 34 million years old, made it the
earliest known mammal of the Greater Antilles Islands.

(A) sloth found in Puerto Rico in 1991, and dated at
34 million years old, made it the earliest known
mammal of

(B) sloth, that they found in Puerto Rico in 1991, has
been dated at 34 million years old, thus making
it the earliest mammal known on

(C) sloth that was found in Puerto Rico in 1991, was
dated at 34 million years old, making this the
earliest known mammal of

(D) sloth, found in Puerto Rico in 1991, have been
dated at 34 million years old, making the sloth
the earliest known mammal on

(E) sloth which, found in Puerto Rico in 1991, was
dated at 34 million years old, made the sloth the
earliest known mammal of

Construction C is told to be wrong - saying that arms is plural and "that was" has a singular verb...
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Legendary Member
Posts: 1448
Joined: Tue May 17, 2011 9:55 amFollowed by: 53 members
Location: India
Thanked: 375 times

by Frankenstein » Sat Jun 04, 2011 11:21 pm
Hi,
Fossils is the subject in this. So, the verb should be plural one.(not was, which is singular).
Cheers!

Things are not what they appear to be... nor are they otherwise
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1309
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2011 5:34 amFollowed by: 123 members
Location: India
Thanked: 310 times
GMAT Score:750

by cans » Sun Jun 05, 2011 1:05 am
Fossils of the arm of a sloth that was........

Fossils is the subject here which is plural
and thus verb should be plural.
If my post helped you- let me know by pushing the thanks button ;)

Contact me about long distance tutoring!
[email protected]

Cans!!
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 226
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2010 12:19 amFollowed by: 2 members
Thanked: 3 times

by nafiul9090 » Mon Jun 06, 2011 2:06 am
IMO D
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 641
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:07 pmFollowed by: 45 members
Location: Madison, WI
Thanked: 162 times
GMAT Score:760

by Jim@Grockit » Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:26 am
winnerhere wrote:leaves of the tree that is

leaves of the tree that are

are both these constructions grammatically correct? in the first construction "that" refers to tree and in the second construction "that" refers to leaves.

Thanks,
Sai
You're correct -- the first would refer to tree, the second to leaves. In real life you would probably want to re-write the second one for even greater clarity.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 231
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:45 amFollowed by: 1 member
Thanked: 5 times

by winnerhere » Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:56 am
Thank for the input guys... :)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 83
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:27 am
Thanked: 1 times

by abhishek.pati » Wed Jun 08, 2011 9:24 pm
IMO D

What is the OA for the post ...
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 165
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:44 pm
Thanked: 8 times

by sandy217 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:27 am
winnerhere wrote:Here you go

Fossils of the arm of a sloth found in Puerto Rico in
1991, and dated at 34 million years old, made it the
earliest known mammal of the Greater Antilles Islands.

(A) sloth found in Puerto Rico in 1991, and dated at
34 million years old, made it the earliest known
mammal of

(B) sloth, that they found in Puerto Rico in 1991, has
been dated at 34 million years old, thus making
it the earliest mammal known on

(C) sloth that was found in Puerto Rico in 1991, was
dated at 34 million years old, making this the
earliest known mammal of

(D) sloth, found in Puerto Rico in 1991, have been
dated at 34 million years old, making the sloth
the earliest known mammal on

(E) sloth which, found in Puerto Rico in 1991, was
dated at 34 million years old, made the sloth the
earliest known mammal of

Construction C is told to be wrong - saying that arms is plural and "that was" has a singular verb...
I always prefer non-underlined part of the sentence to pick singular/plural. If sloth is subject, u cannot date sloth to 34 million years old.In order to make the sentence sound logically correct, Fossils has to be subject.

Thanks
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1325
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:24 amFollowed by: 14 members
Thanked: 105 times

by vikram4689 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 5:05 am
Jim@Grockit wrote:
winnerhere wrote:leaves of the tree that is

leaves of the tree that are

are both these constructions grammatically correct? in the first construction "that" refers to tree and in the second construction "that" refers to leaves.

Thanks,
Sai
You're correct -- the first would refer to tree, the second to leaves. In real life you would probably want to re-write the second one for even greater clarity.
Hi Jim,

I think only the first one is correct. "That" is a relative pronoun which refers to closest noun(tree) in both the cases.
Premise: If you like my post
Conclusion : Press the Thanks Button ;)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 641
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 3:07 pmFollowed by: 45 members
Location: Madison, WI
Thanked: 162 times
GMAT Score:760

by Jim@Grockit » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:51 pm
vikram4689 wrote:
Jim@Grockit wrote:
winnerhere wrote:leaves of the tree that is

leaves of the tree that are

are both these constructions grammatically correct? in the first construction "that" refers to tree and in the second construction "that" refers to leaves.

Thanks,
Sai
You're correct -- the first would refer to tree, the second to leaves. In real life you would probably want to re-write the second one for even greater clarity.
Hi Jim,

I think only the first one is correct. "That" is a relative pronoun which refers to closest noun(tree) in both the cases.
I disagree, but I am out of town and thus do not have my reference books at hand. The leaves of the tree that are brown and wrinkled are dying; the leaves that are still green are fine. Intonation in spoken English would make the sentence clear; in writing, the interruption is undesirable and should be avoided.

I will try to remember to look it up when I get home. The most logical thing is for "that" to refer to what's immediately before it, but I believe it ultimately restricts the noun it restricts.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1325
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2009 6:24 amFollowed by: 14 members
Thanked: 105 times

by vikram4689 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 5:02 pm
Hi Jim,
The leaves of the tree that are brown and wrinkled are dying;
Relative pronouns refer to noun immediately preceding them but if they may refer to other noun if the noun preceding them does not make sense and hence there is no ambiguity. That is why, this sentence is fine because tree cannot be wrinkled.

Had this sentence or original sentence been

Medicines are formed from leaves of the tree that (is/are) brown in color. Now sentence can be:
Medicines are formed from leaves of the tree that is brown in color. (that refer to tree)
Medicines are formed from leaves of the tree that are brown in color. ( that refer to leaves)
So this sentence is wrong because of pronoun error.

Coming to our sentence, "leaves of the tree is/are". Whether this sentence is correct is wrong depends on the object (as shown above). Since we have been a clause we cannot actually tell whether this is correct or not.

Please share your thoughts on this matter.
Premise: If you like my post
Conclusion : Press the Thanks Button ;)
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue May 31, 2011 7:52 pmFollowed by: 2 members
Location: Bangalore, India
Thanked: 2 times

by Sanjay2706 » Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:48 pm
IMO D.

Could you let me know the OA please.

Cheers.
Top
Join the discussion
Log in to postLogin with Googleuse password
QUOTE IN REPLY
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1