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"The rest of" singular or plural?

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"The rest of" singular or plural?

by linfongyu » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:21 pm
"Rest of us" Subject singular or plural?

I have a brain freeze... Can someone help? What is the proper GMAT grammar for "the rest of us," or "rest of them?" Rest is plural or singular, or depends on the lunar cycle, like SANAM?

Example:

The rest of us are going to the movies.
-or-
The rest of us is going to the movies.

The rest of them are staying home.
-or-
The rest of them is staying home.

The rest of the team have performed poorly.
-or-
The rest of the team has performed poorly.

I googled both singular and plural forms and the results are split even. If I had to choose, I'd choose singular form, but I have doubts.

Thanks in advance.
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by linfongyu » Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:49 pm
From the New York Times... I'm knee deep in grammar muck.

The rest of the team is likely to be named on Sunday.

The rest of the team has more experience in the world's troubles than any in decades.

Though the youngest sister experiences strange premonitions of doom, the rest of the group are eager to reminisce together and strengthen their familial bonds.

The rest of the group are not so clearly defined or half as colorful.

While the rest of us is thinking that it is almost hopeless to fix the Darfur situation, one great lady dares to see it differently.
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by erukumk » Fri Oct 31, 2008 3:42 am
linfongyu wrote:From the New York Times... I'm knee deep in grammar muck.

The rest of the team is likely to be named on Sunday.

The rest of the team has more experience in the world's troubles than any in decades.

Though the youngest sister experiences strange premonitions of doom, the rest of the group are eager to reminisce together and strengthen their familial bonds.

The rest of the group are not so clearly defined or half as colorful.

While the rest of us is thinking that it is almost hopeless to fix the Darfur situation, one great lady dares to see it differently.
When the group or team is referred as a single entity, singular is used

Ex: The committe is arriving

when a group or team is referred as indivduals in a group or team, plural is used

Ex: The commitee are arriving

hope this helps
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by iamcste » Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:04 am
alejandro.seattle wrote:The rest of us are

The rest of them are

The rest of the team have

The phrase "the rest of..." will always require a plural verb because it refers to several individuals or items.

Any views on this...
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by logitech » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:23 am
iamcste wrote:
alejandro.seattle wrote:The rest of us are

The rest of them are

The rest of the team have

The phrase "the rest of..." will always require a plural verb because it refers to several individuals or items.

Any views on this...
Here is my take:

IF "rest of them" is referring to a group : SINGULAR

Rest of the team is having fun tonight.

IF "rest of them" is referring to individuals in a group : PLURAL

There were five girls in the class and I dated two of them. Rest of them were ugly :)
LGTCH
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