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16 Feb 2022, 00:59
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Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
55%
(hard)
Question Stats:
58% (01:32) correct
42%
(01:31)
wrong
based on 365
sessions
History
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Not Attempted Yet
The order Rodentia, consisting of over 2,000 species constituting over 40% of all mammalian species, varies in size from the massive Capybara to their smallest member, the African pygmy mouse.
A) constituting over 40% of all mammalian species, varies in size from the massive Capybara to their
B) constituting over 40% of all mammalian species, varies in size from the massive Capybara to its
C) that constitute over 40% of all mammalian species, vary in size from the massive Capybara to their
D) that constitute over 40% of all mammalian species, vary in size from the massive Capybara to its
E) that constitutes over 40% of all mammalian species, varies in size from the massive Capybara to their
16 Feb 2022, 01:02
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Official Explanation
Quote:
MAGOOSH Official Explanation
• Split #1: subject/verb agreement.
The subject of the sentence is the order Rodentia—our furry friends, the rodents.
After this, there's a bunch of modifying fluff, and then we get to the main verb: varies vs. vary.
Subject/verb agreement with a collective noun is one of the GMAT's favorite tricks.
Yes, there are truckloads of different rodents in the world; it's a large and diverse category, as the sentence tells us.
Nevertheless, the subject, the order Rodentia, is singular.
There's just one biological order for the rodents, however many individual rodents there may be.
The singular subject order needs the singular verb, varies.
Choices (A) & (B) & (E) have this correct, but choices (C) & (D) make the mistake of giving a singular collective noun a plural verb.
These latter two are incorrect.
Eliminate C and D.
• Split #2: "constituting" vs. "that constitute"
Both of these constructions are correct and acceptable.
In and of itself, this is a false split.
The only problem is with answer (E): … over 2000 species that constitutes …
The singular verb constitutes doesn't agree with the plural noun species.
Eliminate answer E.
• Split #3: the pronoun.
At the very end of the underlined section, there's a "their" vs. "its" split.
In context, the sentence there is comparing the Capybara, the largest member of the Rodents order, to the smallest member of the order.
The pronoun refers to the subject, the "order Rodentia", so like the main verb, the pronoun must be singular, it.
Choices (A) & (C) & (E) have the plural pronoun they, so these three are incorrect.
Eliminate choice (A). (Options C and E are already gone.)
The only possible answer is choice (B).
COMMENTS
This question is a bit tricky because its subtle variations can create confusion.
I would recommend starting with the main subject and main verb.
Then I would look at pronouns.
["Comments" come from me, not Magoosh.]
• TAKEAWAY
Order is a collective noun (a noun that refers to a collection or group of individual members).
On the GMAT and in formal U.S. English, collective nouns are almost singular.
Not always.
Here are four collective nouns GMAT might throw at you that are plural: people, police, vermin, and cattle. (No kidding. Okay, I doubt that you will see vermin or cattle, but I include them for the sake of amusement, which some native speakers may understand.
Speakers of British English, be careful. Collective nouns in British English are almost always plural.
Your eyes and ears are accustomed to collective nouns' being plural; just be a bit careful on the GMAT.
General Discussion
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16 Feb 2022, 02:39
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generis
"The order rodentia" is plural and therefore the correct set of verbs associated should be vary and their. However even if one wasn't sure about this, and assumed "the order rodentia" to be singular, the correct set of verbs would have been varies and its.
Using this we can clearly eliminate options A, D, and E as there is a verb mismatch.
Between B and C, notwithstanding the fact that "the order rodentia" is plural, the only other difference is "constituting" vs "that constitute". We don't have a reason to use the two -ing verbs together when we can see that C presents a much more elegant way of conveying the same information.
Hence, the correct answer should be C in my opinion.
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