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

Redeem

A group of sudents who have

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Locked
Previous Topic Next Topic
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 468
Joined: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:20 pm
Thanked: 29 times
Followed by:4 members

A group of sudents who have

by vipulgoyal » Wed Mar 04, 2015 7:03 pm
A group of sudents who have begun to clean up Frederick Law Olmstead's Morning Park in New York City believes that the park needs not to be redesigned but to be returned to its former condition.

(A) believes that the park needs not to be redesigned but to
(B) believe that the park needs to not be redesigned but to
(C) believes that the park needs not to be redesigned but could
(D) believe that the park needs not to be redesigned but to
(E) believe that the park needs not to be redesigned but that it

I marked D Bcz of "have"
Top
Source: — Sentence Correction |
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 93
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2015 3:47 am
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:2 members

by bonetlobo » Wed Mar 04, 2015 9:01 pm
But the subject seems to be "a group of students" and this is singular.
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Thu Mar 05, 2015 5:44 am
vipulgoyal wrote:A group of students who have begun to clean up Frederick Law Olmstead's Morning Park in New York City believes that the park needs not to be redesigned but to be returned to its former condition.

(A) believes that the park needs not to be redesigned but to
(B) believe that the park needs to not be redesigned but to
(C) believes that the park needs not to be redesigned but could
(D) believe that the park needs not to be redesigned but to
(E) believe that the park needs not to be redesigned but that it
On the GMAT, a collective noun such as a group is considered SINGULAR.

B, D and E: A group...believe
Here, believe (plural) does not agree with a group (singular).
Eliminate B, D and E.

C: not TO BE...but COULD
Here, to be and could are not parallel.
Eliminate C.

The correct answer is A.
I marked D Bcz of "have"
OA: A group of students who have begun...believes...
Here, of students who have begun serves as a ADJECTIVE describing a group.
What KIND of group?
A group OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEGUN.
The subject of believes is not contained in this modifier.
If we omit the prepositional modifier, we get:
A group believes that the park needs not to be redesigned.
As you can see, the subject of believes (singular) is a group (also singular).
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2135
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:26 am
Location: https://martymurraycoaching.com/
Thanked: 955 times
Followed by:140 members
GMAT Score:800

by MartyMurray » Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:35 am
While group may be considered a singular collective noun, be careful with what are called quantity words.

Many that seem to constitute singular subjects actually can require a plural verb.

For instance, there's this, which uses the quantity word number and is considered CORRECT on the GMAT.

A number of students believe that the park needs not to be redesigned but to be returned to its former condition.

Then, of all things, when the expression is the number of students, number is considered singular and a singular verb is considered correct.

If I were in charge of the English language, maybe I would say that a group of is like a number of. Then again is a family of like a number of?

Anyway, I guess rocking this test takes learning about collective nouns and quantity words and how the GMAT uses them.
Marty Murray
Perfect Scoring Tutor With Over a Decade of Experience
MartyMurrayCoaching.com
Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 126
Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2014 5:26 am
Thanked: 3 times

by sandipgumtya » Fri Mar 06, 2015 6:33 am
Murray Sir,
Can u pl explain the case in detail about use of collective nouns when to use singular/plural verbs.
Thanks in adv.


Sandip.
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2135
Joined: Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:26 am
Location: https://martymurraycoaching.com/
Thanked: 955 times
Followed by:140 members
GMAT Score:800

by MartyMurray » Fri Mar 06, 2015 7:35 am
sandipgumtya wrote:Can u pl explain the case in detail about use of collective nouns when to use singular/plural verbs.
Generally, collective nouns, such as family, audience, crowd or group, are considered singular. So they are paired with singular form verbs. Here are some examples.

The family of raccoons often shows up after dusk.

The jury of twelve has ten more hours to decide.

As the crowd gathers, let's begin the pregame show.

There are times, however, when a plural verb makes more sense, such as when what is being discussed involves multiple members of the the group acting separately.

The family of raccoons rarely fight among themselves. (They are fighting each other.)

The jury of twelve men and women argue constantly. (There are multiple people involved in the arguments.)

I am not sure how often this type of distinction actually shows up on the GMAT.

Also, to be clear, collective nouns are different from other quantity words, each of which can have rules of its own.

Anyway, if you need more examples or information, these topics, collective nouns and quantity words, are discussed in great detail in various GMAT resources. Also you can do a search on something like "collective noun verb agreement GMAT" and you will turn up plenty.
Marty Murray
Perfect Scoring Tutor With Over a Decade of Experience
MartyMurrayCoaching.com
Contact me at [email protected] for a free consultation.
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2663
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
Location: Boston, MA
Thanked: 1153 times
Followed by:128 members
GMAT Score:770

by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:35 am
Here are a couple of official examples of collective nouns:

An international team of astronomers working at telescopes in the Canary Islands and Spain has detected at least 18 huge gas spheres estimated to have 5 to 15 times the mass of Jupiter, the solar system's largest planet.

(A) astronomers working at telescopes in the Canary Islands and Spain has detected at least 18 huge gas spheres estimated to have 5 to 15 times the mass of Jupiter
(B) astronomers working at telescopes in the Canary Islands and Spain has detected at least 18 huge gas spheres that are at an estimated 5 to 15 times Jupiter's mass
(C) astronomers is working at telescopes in the Canary Islands and Spain, having detected at least 18 huge gas spheres that are estimated at 5 to 15 times the mass of Jupiter
(D) astronomers, working at telescopes in the Canary Islands and Spain, and has detected at least 18 huge gas spheres estimated at 5 to 15 times the mass of Jupiter
(E) astronomers, working at telescopes in the Canary Islands and Spain, has detected at least 18 huge gas spheres they have estimated as being 5 to 15 times Jupiter's mass
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 2663
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 8:25 am
Location: Boston, MA
Thanked: 1153 times
Followed by:128 members
GMAT Score:770

by DavidG@VeritasPrep » Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:37 am
And another:

According to two teams of paleontologists, recent fossil discoveries in Pakistan show that whales, porpoises, and dolphins are more closely related to some of the oldest known even-toed ungulates--a group of hoofed mammals that today includes cows, camels, pigs, and hippos--than to any other mammals.

(A) that whales, porpoises, and dolphins are more closely related to some of the oldest known even-toed ungulates--a group of hoofed mammals that today includes cows, camels, pigs, and hippos--than
(B) that whales, porpoises, and dolphins are more closely related to some of the oldest known even-toed ungulates--a group of hoofed mammals that today include cows, camels, pigs, and hippos--as
(C) whales, porpoises, and dolphins to be more closely related to some of the oldest known even-toed ungulates--a group of hoofed mammals that today include cows, camels, pigs, and hippos--than they are
(D) whales, porpoises, and dolphins as being more closely related to some of the oldest known even-toed ungulates--a group of hoofed mammals that today includes cows, camels, pigs, and hippos--as they are
(E) whales, porpoises, and dolphins as more closely related to some of the oldest known even-toed ungulates--a group of hoofed mammals that today include cows, camels, pigs, and hippos--than
Veritas Prep | GMAT Instructor

Veritas Prep Reviews
Save $100 off any live Veritas Prep GMAT Course
Top
Post new topic Locked
• Page 1 of 1