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lahotis
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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 16 Oct 2013, 06:50
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Sentence 1: Princeton built 300 houses on a large portion of the 210-acre site of the Battle of Princeton, one of only eight Revolutionary War battlefields that remain undeveloped.

Sentence 2: One of the books that rests on the table reminds me of her

I understand why second sentence is correct but not able to comprehend the first one. Shouldn't it be remains

These is some explanation but I am totally clueless what author wants to say

Show Spoiler
"one of" will usually require a singular verb after (agreed). However, when there is an intruder, splitting the independent clause such as “that”, the relative/restrictive clause, the verb can be either singular/plural. A relative clause usually refers to the closest noun and in this case, it is "battlefields" from the prepositional phrase. Hence, "remain", the immediately following verb is singular. However in the second example it is “rests” and not “rest”. That can refer to either “one book” or “books (what!!!)”. The verb that follows that determines what that refers to.

Thanks

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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 16 Oct 2013, 06:55
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lahotis
Sentence 1: Princeton built 300 houses on a large portion of the 210-acre site of the
Battle of Princeton, one of only eight Revolutionary War battlefields that remain
undeveloped.

Sentence 2: One of the books that rests on the table reminds me of her

I understand why second sentence is correct but not able to comprehend the first one. Shouldn't it be remains

These is some explanation but I am totally clueless what author wants to say

Show Spoiler
"one of" will usually require a
singular verb after. However, when there is an intruder, splitting the
independent clause such as “that”, the relative/restrictive clause, the verb can
be either singular/plural. A relative clause usually refers to the closest noun and in
this case, it is "battlefields" from the prepositional phrase. Hence, "remain", the
immediately following verb is singular. However in the example below it is “rests”
and not “rest”. That can refer to either “one book” or “books”. The verb that
follows that determines what that refers to.

Thanks
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Kindly read the forum rules BEFORE posting :https://gmatclub.com/forum/rules-for-posting-in-verbal-gmat-forum-134642.html
and thereafter please edit your post.Thanks.
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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 16 Oct 2013, 10:03
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I have read the rules but as it is not a question from any specific guide but rather a query I thought how I have put it was as per the rules and I couldn't find anything when I searched earlier (probably I dint search perfectly - but I spent considerable time before posting...) - so not sure what change shall I make to the question. Other than the fact the query is from some personal notes - I just wanted to confirm sentence 1 is indeed correct?
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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 16 Oct 2013, 15:55
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lahotis
I have read the rules but as it is not a question from any specific guide but rather a query I thought how I have put it was as per the rules and I couldn't find anything when I searched earlier (probably I dint search perfectly - but I spent considerable time before posting...) - so not sure what change shall I make to the question. Other than the fact the query is from some personal notes - I just wanted to confirm sentence 1 is indeed correct?
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Edited. Just underline your SC questions and name the source (in case tag options for your source are unavaliable)

For your query on 'one of..that' here are the rules:

one of X's ..that/who........Plural verb
one of X's.........................Singular verb
Only one of X's...tht/who...Plural verb
Only one of the X's ...........Singular verb
The only one of the X's..that/who..Singular verb
{Source-Ron Purnewal Manhattan Gmat verbal expert}

This is also discussed here and here as well

HTH
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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 16 Oct 2013, 16:21
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lahotis
Sentence 1: Princeton built 300 houses on a large portion of the 210-acre site of the Battle of Princeton, one of only eight Revolutionary War battlefields that remain undeveloped.

Sentence 2: One of the books that rests on the table reminds me of her

I understand why second sentence is correct but not able to comprehend the first one. Shouldn't it be remains

Thanks
Show more
Dear lahotis,
I'm happy to help. :-)

Part of what's tricky here is the concept of a vital noun modifier. Here's what I mean. Suppose we have the structure,

...., one of the six X that __________ .....

The question arises, what does the modifying clause beginning with "that" modify? Does it modify the "six X" or can it modify the "one"? The surprising answer: actually, depending on context, it could modify either.

You see, say in that second sentence, the modifier "of the books" is a vital noun modifier, a.k.a. a restrictive modifier. That it to say, we would have no idea what the identity of the "one" would be, one what?, without that prepositional phrase. A vital noun modifier can come between a noun and a second modifier, thus disrupting the common pattern of the Modifier Touch Rule. The modifier "that" clause in #2 is a modifier that is separated from the pronoun it modifies ("one") by a vital noun modifier.
By contrast, in #1, the ordinary Modifier Touch Rule is in effect, because "that" modifies "eight Revolutionary War battlefields," the noun it touches.

For more on vital noun modifiers, see:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/that-vs-which-on-the-gmat/
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/gmat-gramm ... modifiers/

For more on the Modifier Touch Rule, see:
https://magoosh.com/gmat/2013/modifiers- ... orrection/

The really important thing to understand: Folks think that the GMAT SC just is about grammar. Well, of course, there's grammar you need to know, but more important than grammar is logic. Logic always trumps grammar. For this distinction --- in the "one of six X that ..." construction, does the "that" clause modify the "one" or the "six X"? --- for that distinction, we need to look past the mere grammar to the logic of the situation and the deep meaning of what is being communicated. We absolutely cannot resolve this question using grammar alone. Here, as often on the GMAT SC, there's no escape from engaging with logic & meaning.

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)
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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 16 Oct 2013, 16:44
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lahotis
Sentence 1: Princeton built 300 houses on a large portion of the 210-acre site of the Battle of Princeton, one of only eight Revolutionary War battlefields that remain undeveloped.

Sentence 2: One of the books that rests on the table reminds me of her

I understand why second sentence is correct but not able to comprehend the first one. Shouldn't it be remains

These is some explanation but I am totally clueless what author wants to say

Show Spoiler
"one of" will usually require a singular verb after (agreed). However, when there is an intruder, splitting the independent clause such as “that”, the relative/restrictive clause, the verb can be either singular/plural. A relative clause usually refers to the closest noun and in this case, it is "battlefields" from the prepositional phrase. Hence, "remain", the immediately following verb is singular. However in the second example it is “rests” and not “rest”. That can refer to either “one book” or “books (what!!!)”. The verb that follows that determines what that refers to.

Thanks
Show more

@ Lahotis,You are Not allowed to make duplicate posts. You have posted the same questionhere too.

Please post in a single thread so that we can have a meaningful & continuous discussion.
NOTE: I have merged the topics
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Subject Verb Agreement - "one of" "that" construct 17 Dec 2020, 10:22
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Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

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