subject verb

Question

1) The students and instructors each "hope/hopes" for a new facility by next year.

2) Rice and beans, my favorite dish, "remind/reminds" me of my native Puerto Rico.

Question2 puzzled me, I have kept Question1 for contrast.

enigmatic007 · Answer

hi ,

Q1--> each hope... cos here the students and the instructors both are plural and hence the use of hope...

Q2-->rice and BEANS, my favorite REMINDS me .....

cos here the subject that comes later in the liNe will define the verb to be .... and BEANS is here singular and so REMINDS...

hope that hlps!

Have FUN :-D

Maneesh · Answer

Q1) I would chose "each hope" as my answer, although "each" is attached. Usually when he have an "each, everybody, anybody" it is treated as a singular. This is when they act as an indefinite pronoun like;
"Each of the furrows has been seeded."
However, in this I think that pronoun's antecedent is fairly definite. 

Q2) Rice and beans should be treated in singular mode as it refers to a single dish.

Please correct me if i am wrong on the first one.

tapsemi · Answer

Maneesh yours interpretation is correct. I just had the confusion from "Rice and Beans", this is not a compound subject but should be treated as a single subject, that is the catch. Thanks.

ashkg · Answer

I think it should be "each hopes"

the verb following each should correspond to a singular subject...

- ash

srijay007 · Answer

I think 1 is "hopes" and 2 is "reminds"
What is the correct answer?

Paul · Answer

Alright, answer for 1 should be "hope". What does "each" refer to? "The  students  and  instructors " as two distinct  plural  entities. Hence, answer should be "hope". 
If question were:
The student and instructor each "hope/hopes" for a new facility by next year

Then answer should be "hopes" because each referent is singular.

2- Agree with consensus on this one. "reminds" it is

tapsemi · Answer

Paul, I guess if the question was
The student and instructor each "hope/hopes" for a new facility by next year.

The answer would still be "hope" cause here "student and instructor" is a compound subject and hence calls for the use of "hope". Correct me please.

Paul · Answer

You are right tapsemi. I wrote that one too hastily without double-checking. Yes, "student and instructor" would be a compound subject and "hope" would have been correct. Now, THAT should have been the question for you to post as it seems trickier

ashkg · Answer

If you are using "student and instructor" as a compound subject, then why use "each" unless you want to refer to only one of them??

"X and Y" and "X and Y each" are not the same.

Now we have 4 variations. I tried using is/are to make understanding better.

The student and instructor, are planning to go to
The student and instructor,each is planning to go to
The students and instructors,are planning to ......
The students and instructors,each are planning to ......

So hope/hopes should be used as below.

The student and instructor, hope to ....
The student and instructor,each hopes
The students and instructors,hope
The students and instructors,each hope

"hope" that clears things

- ash

Paul · Answer

Hmm, thx ashkg. I kept swinging left and right on that one. Thanks for clarifying.

dr_sabr · Answer

I just want to add that "Rice and beans" is a kind of meal or dish. therefore, it is singular. So the answer will be:

Rice and beans, my favorite dish,  reminds  me of my native Puerto Rico.

mba · Answer

ashkg: I don't agree with one of your answers:

The student and instructor, hope to .... 
The student and instructor,each hopes 
The students and instructors,hope 
The students and instructors,each hope 

for second choice
The student and instructor,each hopes 
It should be "hope" and not "hopes"
Had the sentence been: "Each of the student and instructor hopes" then it would have been right.
But here "each" is after "student and instructor" hence you need plural   and not hopes

Bhai · Answer

hope
reminds

Which reminds me that I should be hopeful for GMAT. I am totally confused after reading this thread.

Bhai

Praetorian · Answer

Guys

it depends on whether the compound subject acts as a group or two seperate things

Rice and Beans is a dish. its referenced as a group. it has to be singular.

Students and instructors are referenced seperately (note the use of word each) , thats why the subject is plural.

ashkg · Answer

mba, 

 I hope the quote should clarify my stance. "each" makes reference to one of the part of the compound subject.

If you use each, you can't reference the whole compound subject as one.

- take care
ash.

Vithal · Answer

concur with ash...and Bhai too!!!

Answers please (guess there is a lot of confusion already!)

SmashingGrace --> Can you add your two cents to this discussion? (usually ur explanations are well researched!)

pskbecks · Answer

totally agree with ashkg
but how about the situation when each refers to one singular part and one plural part...

i.e

The students and instructor each hope/hopes for a new facility by next year. 
the student and instructors each hope/hopes for a new facility by next year.

subject verb

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