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If the majority(singular/plural)

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If the majority(singular/plural)

by gocoder » Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:01 am
If the majority of your opponents have control, you may become defeated.
A. If the majority of your opponents have control, you may become defeated.
B. If the majority of your opponents take control, you may lose.
C. If the majority of your opponents assumes control, you may see defeat.
D. If the majority of your opponents has control, you may lose.
E. Most of you opponents will have control, and you may lose.

I want to know what is wrong with B. Is 'take control' unidiomatic ?
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by MartyMurray » Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:04 am
This question is not the greatest. Multiple answers are arguably correct, even though I guess one can say that all but the OA have some kind of meaning flaws.

So in some sense B is correct. There is nothing idiomatically or grammatically really wrong with it.

The way it can be ruled out is the following.

The meaning the sentence seems meant to convey is that if the majority does something, you will lose.

So the sentence is about the majority as a whole, rather than the individual members of the majority.

Therefore, in B, "take", which is plural, should be the singular version "takes", because the subject of the subordinate clause, as defined by meaning, is "the majority."

In other words, the point is not that opponents may take control. The point is that the opposing majority may take control.

If the majority takes control, you may lose.

If the majority of your opponents takes control, you may lose.

As I said, not the greatest question, as B is not totally illogical.
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by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:40 pm
I agree with Marty's analysis here. To see that "majority" can function as a plural subject, see this OA:

The majority of scientists believe that to reduce and stabilize atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, emissions must be cut at the source by burning fossil fuels more efficiently and, in some cases, by replacing fossil fuels altogether with alternatives such as hydrogen fuel cells.


(Note: The majority of scientists believe not the majority of the scientists believes)
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