Last visit was: 24 Apr 2026, 11:31 It is currently 24 Apr 2026, 11:31
Home
Messages
Tests
Schools
Events
Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel
Back to Forum
Create Topic
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 24 Apr 2026
Posts: 109,816
Own Kudos:
811,046
 [3]
Given Kudos: 105,873
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 109,816
Kudos: 811,046
 [3]
The ongoing debate as to whether Pluto and its satellite, Charon, comp 06 Aug 2021, 02:30
Kudos
Add Kudos
3
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
00:00
Start Timer
Pause Timer
Resume Timer
Show Answer
Hide
Show
History
A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!

Difficulty:

65% (hard)

Question Stats:

53% (02:03) correct 47% (01:49) wrong based on 131 sessions

History

Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
The ongoing debate as to whether Pluto and its satellite, Charon, comprise a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie outside of Pluto.


(A) comprise a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie

(B) comprises a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie

(C) are a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon were settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass are

(D) comprise a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lies

(E) are a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled and led to the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie
ShowHide Answer
Official Answer
A
avatar
Avinash2303
avatar
Joined: 10 Mar 2018
Last visit: 06 Dec 2021
Posts: 10
Own Kudos:
4
 [1]
Given Kudos: 128
Posts: 10
Kudos: 4
 [1]
The ongoing debate as to whether Pluto and its satellite, Charon, comp 06 Aug 2021, 02:59
1
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
A should be the answer.

SV Pairs
a. The ongoing debate...was settled(singular and singular)
b. Pluto and its satellite....comprise (Plural and Plural)
C. System's Center....AND Significant Portion.....lie (plural and Plural)

B has error - "Comprises" used for Subject Pluto and its satellite
C has Error - Were used for subject the ongoing debate
D has error - LIES at the end of the sentence
E. Meaning Error - "and led to the discovery that"...what led to the discovery? Debate? Certainly not :)

I elected C Initially but answer should be A.
User avatar
DHRJ0032
User avatar
Joined: 27 Feb 2020
Last visit: 20 Dec 2023
Posts: 101
Own Kudos:
107
Given Kudos: 124
Location: India
Concentration: Finance, Operations
Schools: Owen '25 (II)
GPA: 4
WE:Operations (Aerospace and Defense)
Schools: Owen '25 (II)
Posts: 101
Kudos: 107
The ongoing debate as to whether Pluto and its satellite, Charon, comp 06 Aug 2021, 03:41
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post
Comprise is correct..
Lie will be correct ..


A will be the answer

Posted from my mobile device
User avatar
Bunuel
User avatar
Math Expert
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Last visit: 24 Apr 2026
Posts: 109,816
Own Kudos:
811,046
Given Kudos: 105,873
Products:
GMAT Club Tests Forum Quiz
Expert
Expert reply
Active GMAT Club Expert! Tag them with @ followed by their username for a faster response.
Posts: 109,816
Kudos: 811,046
The ongoing debate as to whether Pluto and its satellite, Charon, comp 08 Aug 2021, 02:30
Kudos
Add Kudos
Bookmarks
Bookmark this Post

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



The ongoing debate as to whether Pluto and its satellite, Charon, comprise a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie outside of Pluto.


(A) comprise a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie

This answer choice correctly matches the following subjects and verbs in its various sub-clauses:

1 - the singular subject ongoing debate is correctly matched with the singular verb was (settled);

2 - the plural subject Pluto and its satellite, Charon with is correctly matched with the plural verb comprise;

3 - the plural subject the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass is correctly matched with the plural verb lie (outside of Pluto).

Note the sentence's main clause is no. 1: The ongoing debate...was settled. Clause no. 2 is nested within the main clause.


(B) comprises a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The plural subject Pluto and its satellite, Charon does not agree with the singular verb comprises.

What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question and detect this mistake is the following Stop Sign: A plural subject made up of singular nouns connected by and

Note:

This sentence has a complex structure, and includes more than one sub-clause - make sure that you match the subject with the appropriate verb, within the same clause. For each verb in the sentence, ask - who is the 'doer' of this action? for example, who 'comprise/s' - is it Charon? is it something else? The 'doer' of the action is the subject of the clause, and must agree with the verb.



(C) are a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon were settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass are

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The singular subject The ongoing debate does not agree with the plural verb were.

What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question and detect this mistake is the following Stop Sign: A long complex subject / long distance between subject and verb

Note:

This sentence has a complex structure, and includes more than one sub-clause - make sure that you match the subject with the appropriate verb, within the same clause. For each verb in the sentence, ask - who is the 'doer' of this action? for example, who 'comprise/s' - is it Charon? is it something else? The 'doer' of the action is the subject of the clause, and must agree with the verb.

Note that the change of wording (comprise -> are; lie -> are) does not affect the correctness of this answer choice. Not every change of wording is also a change of meaning.


(D) comprise a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled following the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lies

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The plural subject the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass does not agree with the singular verb lies.

What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question and detect this mistake is the following Stop Sign: A plural subject made up of singular nouns connected by and


(E) are a double dwarf planet system or a planet and its moon was settled and led to the discovery that the system's center of mass and a significant portion of its mass lie

Incorrect.

Although this answer choice is grammatically correct, it is illogical and radically changes the meaning of the original sentence by replacing the word following with the words and led to. The new meaning damages the original sentence's logic - because it is far more logical to say that the debate was settled based on the discovery that the mass are outside of Pluto (i.e., based on evidence), than to say that the debate led to this discovery.
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
7391 posts
AbhishekP220108
504 posts
bhanu29
358 posts