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MGMAT Sentence Correction_Ch. 3 Subject-Verb Agreement

Terms in this set (23)

Subject and verb must both exist.
One way the GMAT disguises the error is by dropping the verb.
Past participle
A past particle by itself is not a working verb.

was named
Subordinate clauses
Begin with connecting words, such as who or which.
Cannot stand by themselves.
Always attached to a main clause.
Frequently used as a warmup or middlemen.

Because
Which

To fix this sort of fragment, you either need to attach it to a main clause or drop the connecting word.
Prepositional phrases
A prepositional phrase is a group of words headed by a preposition.

Prepositions are followed by nouns. A noun in the prepositional phrase cannot be the subject of the sentence.

They modify of describe other parts of the sentence. Thus, you can generally eliminate them to find the subject.
Prepositional phrases examples
of mice
for milk
by 1800
in Zambia
with her
at that level
to the store
on their orders
from the office
Other modifiers
Modify or describe other portions of the sentence.

Look for present participles (ing forms derived from verbs) and past participles (ed and en forms derived from verbs).

Commas are another helpful sign.
Warmups or middlemen
If you can remove a phrase from the sentence, and the sentence still makes sense, the phrase is likely to the a middlemen or warmup.
Or, Either...or, Neither...nor
Find the noun nearest to the verb, and make sure that verb agrees in number with this noun.
Collective nouns
Almost always singular

People: agency, army, class, orchestra, team
Items: baggage, citrus, fleet, fruit, furniture
Indefinite pronouns
Usually singular.

Not specific about the thing to which it refers.

Anyone, anybody, anything
No one, nobody, nothing
Each, every (as pronoun)
Someone, somebody, something
Either, neither (may require a plural verb if paired with or/nor)
Whatever, whoever
SANAM pronouns
Some
Any
None
All
More/most
Each and every
Requires a singular verb.
The number of
Singular
A number of
Plural
Flip It!
The subject of a there is or there are expression follows the verb.
Singular subjects
-Singular subject linked to other nouns by an additive phrase
-Collective nouns
-Most indefinite pronouns
-Subjects preceded by each and every
-Subjects preceded by the number of
-Subject phrases or clauses
Plural subjects
-Subjects joined by and
-Subjects preceded by a number of
It depends
-Subjects joined by or or nor
-SANAM pronouns
-Other numerical words and phrases
The traveling salesman was dismayed to learn that neither his sons nor his daughter were interested in moving.
The traveling salesman was dismayed to learn that neither his sons nor his daughter was interested in moving.

With or, the noun nearest the verb agrees with the verb. In this case, that noun is daughter.
I was so thirsty that either of the two drinks were fine with me.
I was so thirsty that either of the two drinks was fine with me.

Either as a pronoun is singular.
There is, according to my doctor, many courses of treatment available to me.
There are, according to my doctor, many courses of treatment available to me.

The subjects comes after the verb with there is or there are. Flip it: many courses...are available.
A new textbook focused on recent advances in artificial intelligence assigned by our instructor.
A new textbook focused on recent advances in artificial intelligence was assigned by our instructor.

The original is a fragment. A simple fix is to add a form of the verb to be, such as was.
Tired of practicing, the orchestra decide to walk out on their conductor.
Tired of practicing, the orchestra decides to walk out on their conductor.

Like other collective nouns, orchestra is almost always considered singular on the GMAT.
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