Bunuel
Recent studies indicate that the ability of a soldier to remain calm under attack by enemies, internal or external, determine whether the soldier will be the victor or the vanquished.
(A) determine whether the soldier will be the victor or the vanquished.
(B) determines whether the soldier will be the victor and the vanquished.
(C) determine whether the soldier should be the victor and the vanquished.
(D) determines whether the soldier will be the victor or the vanquished.
(E) determine if the soldier will be the victor or the vanquished.
Official Explanation:
Ask yourself whether it should be
determine or
determines? Since it is the singular
ability and not the plural
enemies that determines, the correct option should be the singular
determines (and no, adding an s to a verb does not make it plural; this actually makes it singular in most cases).
Analyzing the options
• A, C, and E are out because of the plural
determine.
• Between B and D,
the correct choice has to be D because the
and in option B distorts the meaning of the sentence. How can the soldier be both the victor and the loser?