+HOT Competition 4 Sep/9AM: The Philippines are one of the few nations

The Philippines are one of the few nations to qualify as both megadiversity countries and conservation hotspots based on its large numbers of highly unique endangered species.


A. are one of the few nations to qualify as both megadiversity countries and conservation hotspots based on its

“the Philippines” is singular. Hence “are” is incorrect.

B. are one of the few nations that qualifies as both a megadiversity country and a conservation hotspot based on their

“the Philippines” is singular. Hence “are” is incorrect.

C. is one of the few nations that qualify as both megadiversity countries and conservation hotspots on the basis of their

Correct: “on the basis” is correctly used and required. “qualify” is correct because nations themselves qualify as such.

D. is one of the few nations qualified as both megadiversity countries and conservation hotspots by its

“qualified” is incorrect. No one else is qualifying the nations. They themselves do so.

E. is one of the few nations qualifying as both a megadiversity country and a conservation hotspot on the basis of the

Many countries together qualify as one megadiversity country? Illogical.


Hence C

Veritas Prep Explanation:

The correct answer is C.

This answer achieves proper agreement through each of the several nouns, verbs, and pronouns in the sentence. The relative pronoun “that” modifies “nations,” and therefore the plural “qualify” is required to achieve subject-verb agreement. These plural nations qualify as plural “countries” and “hotspots.” The plural “their” also properly describes the plural “nations.” Also note that “the Philippines” is probably best treated as a singular noun, describing, as it does, a single nation. However, it is ultimately not necessary to render judgment on this final point in order to determine the correct answer.

Answer A uses the plural “are” to describe “the Philippines,” even though the singular “is” would probably be better. Regardless, though, the plural verb “are” cannot possibly work with the singular “is” that attempts to reference the very same “Philippines” later in the sentence. The failure of agreement between these two verbs on the same subject is a fatal error.

Answer B again uses the somewhat questionable plural verb “are” to describe “the Philippines.” Worse, this answer fails to achieve agreement within the relative clause beginning with “that”; the verb “qualifies” should refer, as does the relative clause itself, to the plural noun “nations.” Otherwise the relative clause does not modify what it is next to, and the “few nations” lack a modifier without which they simply make no sense – what “few nations” are we talking about? Also, the noun phrase “a megadiversity country and a conservation hotspot” is strange, to say the least, describing the plural “nations.” Overall, the agreement here is too problematic to stand.

Answer D seems to bizarrely and illogically suggest that “the few nations” in question are all qualified based on “its” – i.e. “the Philippines’” abundance of unique species.

Answer E describes plural “nations” as “a megadiversity country and a conservation hotspot.” This mix of plural and singular is odd to say the least. Answer E also fails to include a pronoun and the end of the underlined portion, and, in so doing, creates significant ambiguity. What “large numbers of highly unique endangered species”? The number of such species in the whole world? Why should the number of unique endangered species worldwide qualify these few nations for anything? A logical meaning could only have been obtained through a pronoun that would specifically tie this final phrase to the “few nations” in question – a pronoun that is sadly absent from Answer E.

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