Subject Verb Agreement

[rah_pandey]

Can anyone let me know if the sentence below is a fragment and if yes why? How can we make a complete sentence from it?

"The proliferation of computer games designed to involve many players at once were first developed before the widespread availability of high speed internet connections"

Source "Manhattan Sentence Correction"

[Vemuri]

Can anyone let me know if the sentence below is a fragment and if yes why? How can we make a complete sentence from it?

"The proliferation of computer games designed to involve many players at once were first developed before the widespread availability of high speed internet connections"

Source "Manhattan Sentence Correction"

Well, IMO this is a sentence. A sentence fragment is one that is either missing a Subject, verb or if it has both, fails to convey the message. I feel the above sentence is not a sentence fragment. I will wait to see if anyone has a different opinion.

[dendude]

Can anyone let me know if the sentence below is a fragment and if yes why? How can we make a complete sentence from it?

"The proliferation of computer games designed to involve many players at once were first developed before the widespread availability of high speed internet connections"

Source "Manhattan Sentence Correction"

Well, IMO this is a sentence. A sentence fragment is one that is either missing a Subject, verb or if it has both, fails to convey the message. I feel the above sentence is not a sentence fragment. I will wait to see if anyone has a different opinion.

Agree with above. This appears to be a complete sentence.
I do have a comment though, isn't proliferation singular and hence demand the use of was.
I suppose the sentence should be,
The proliferation of computer games designed to involve many players at once was first developed before the widespread availability of high speed internet connections

[The GMAT Chef]

dendude is right by pointing out that "proliferation" is singular and requires "was". Indeed, the sentence is complete and is not a fragment.
However, it makes no sense whatsoever. You do not develop a proliferation and a different verb is necessary here.
Please give us the other choices so we can help.

[rah_pandey]

This is from Manhattan Sentence Correction and therefore it is not a multiple choice question. The solution has completely changed the structure of the sentence. Would post the requirements like" circle the verb, underline the subject etc".

[dumb.doofus]

"The proliferation of computer games designed to involve many players at once were first developed before the widespread availability of high speed internet connections"

In my opinion, this sentence is an example of an incorrect sentence and definitely a sentence fragment..


The sentence starts by talking about proliferation.. right?

and then describes computer games.. and totally misses out in the end to talk anything about proliferation.. and that's the reason its a fragment..

designed to involve many players at once were first developed is talking about computer games and not proliferation.. Proliferation means a rapid and often excessive spread or increase

makes sense now? Do you see the sentence fragment now? Just read it again.. your subject in this sentence is "proliferation of computer games" and there's nothing in the sentence that describes this proliferation..