The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares

Official Explanation

Answer is (D). In this example, it is fairly easy to eliminate (A) and (C) with basic subject-verb agreement analysis. In (A), the subject is the singular “value” but the plural verb “have risen” accompanies it. In (C) the subject is the plural “shares” but the singular verb “has risen” accompanies it. At this point, many students will fixate on the choice between the two subjects – “shares” and “value” – and think that it needs to be “value” because only values can rise. However, this is a false decision point as it is completely idiomatic to say, “shares have risen”.

In this example, (as they often do), the testmakers try to get people to fixate on a very difficult and unimportant choice when a much bigger issue is hidden at the end of the sentence. In (B), the sentence improperly states that there is a “belief that the company will start to make more efficient tractors AND that people will flock to buy” The two “that” clauses are both modifying belief when the second one should be modifying tractors. The problem is that it make no sense to say that there is a separate belief that people will flock to buy: flock to buy what??

The only logical meaning is expressed in (D): there is a “belief that the company will make more efficient tractors” - what kind of tractors? – tractors “that people will flock to buy” Both (B) and (E) improperly separate “will flock to buy” from the tractors, creating illogical and nonsensical meaning.

A. The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy. --- The value and have risen—SV error.

B. The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares has risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to express belief that the company will make more efficient tractors and that people will flock to buy. --- and that people will flock to buy—is this choice clearly stating that people will flock to buy those tractors? Why is the object of the ‘flock to buy’ missing?

C. The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares has risen nearly 200 percent this year because more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy. – shares has risen is SV error.

D. The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to express belief that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy.----- ‘Tractors that people will flock to buy’ clears up the air and rectifies the problem cited in B. Correct choice.

E.The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year in that more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors and people will flock to buy. – in that is an unidiomatic expression since it is just an indicative phrase and doesn’t imply that the shares have gone up because(as) people are expressing more belief.

The split between ‘have started to believe’ and ‘have started to express belief’ is a diversionary ploy, I suppose.
_________________

Wouldn't it be that the value..has risen?

I was confused between B and D. I didn't choose B because the use of conjunction 'and' doesn't seem appropriate. Hence D. Somehow am still not convinced.

I think this question is wrong because the correct answer choice D changes the meaning from "the value has risen" to "Shares have risen". Please correct me if I am wrong.

Watch out, in D there is not "the value" it starts directly with "the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares" and "Shares" is plural!

But the question is really hard! The subtile difference between the choices B and D is difficult to see!

I was confused about "flock" because i did not know what it meant:

Definition:

- large number of people; crowd.
- large group of things. Example: a flock of letters to answer.

In consequence, we can translate the last part by the following: people will flock to buy ==> many people will buy

Therefore, you must either have a noun after "many people will buy a car" or you refers to a noun before "X that many people will buy"

Answer D makes sense now!

Hope it helps!
_________________

You are right. I was going with D till I realized this change of meaning, but apparently not?

There is no change in meaning, but a change in word choice. Shares can rise just as much as values of something do. It's not quite clear whether this is from an OG though.

Was just about to share my thoughts... until I read daagh's that were effectively the same =)

Though "have started to express belief" is a little redundant, but redundancy wins over clear grammar mistakes nicely pointed out by daagh.

Best,
Jay

Hi Daagh,

I was stuck between B and D, although error of B " tractors and that people will flock to buy" was spotted early.
D was the obvious choice, but isn't D changing the intended meaning
I mean original sentence talks about value of shares increasing (monetary value)
whereas D talks about shares being increasing.(increase in number of shares)

Please provide your inputs on this.

Straight D.

Basically S-V agreement question.

let's understand the meaning first:
the value of shares have risen
the rise is because investors have started to believe in something
they believe that the company will make more efficient tractors
and they believe that people will buy these tractors.

Error analysis:
the subject "the value" does not agree in number with the verb "have risen" = no other error is present.

A. The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy.
as mentioned.

B. The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares has risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to express belief that the company will make more efficient tractors and that people will flock to buy.
and that after tractors changes the meaning. now, it is implied that investors believe in 2 things:
the company will make more efficient tractors
the people will flock to buy
but buy what? subtle, yet important error.

C. The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares has risen nearly 200 percent this year because more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy.
the subject shares does not agree in number with the singular verb has. as was changed with because - this is not a mistake.

D. The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to express belief that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy.
the subject shares - ok, verb have risen - ok. that after tractors correctly refers to what people will buy. looks good.

E.The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year in that more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors and people will flock to buy.
same meaning error as in B.
believe that:
company will make more tractors
people will flock to buy.
nevertheless, even this is incorrect, because we have 2 IC connected with only "and". that is an essential modifier in this case.

Have started to express belief is more than redundant. The meaning is poor. Belief is a noun which means accepting as truth. You can't really have started to express something as truth. Have started to believe

Belief is a noun. In simple terms, ‘belief’ refers to the act of accepting something as truth. According to the Oxford Dictionary, ‘belief’ especially refers to the act of accepting something without proof and evidence. We use the noun ‘belief’ when we are talking about faith, confidence or trust in something. Belief is also used to refer to a strong opinion or conviction. We always use the preposition ‘in’ in relation to ‘belief.’

“They always mocked his belief in extraterrestrial”

“The belief in God helped him to bear the pain silently.”

“They were prepared to fight for their beliefs.”

“He was the first to reject the belief that earth was flat.”

“Self-confidence is, having belief in yourself.”


Belief can be replaced by trust or truth and you see the sentence makes no sense. While I admit (a) has an error with have. This started to express belief is very illogical.

GMATNinja GMATNinjaTwo
can you please help with this topic?

I too agree that "have started to express belief" is redundant.
Is this phrase correct or not?

thank you!

I chose B . Wanted to understand why B was wrong.
B says 'the value has risen..' while D mentions 'shares have risen'.

Is the phrase 'the value has risen..' an incorrect phrase to use?

this SC makes no sens since the answer alters the intended meaning !

Like everyone else, it was between B and D.
I really don't like how C, D, E remove "the value of" because i feel it introduces ambiguity. But after doing some cursury look on Google, saying "shares" or "stock" rose (without indicating "the value") is common.

So D is the clear choice.

A. The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy. S/V agreement error

B. The value of the farming equipment manufacturer’s shares has risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to express belief that the company will make more efficient tractors and that people will flock to buy. The use of the word and is wrong. it should be that

C. The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares has risen nearly 200 percent this year because more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy. S/V agreement error

D. The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year as more investors have started to express belief that the company will make more efficient tractors that people will flock to buy.

E.The farming equipment manufacturer’s shares have risen nearly 200 percent this year in that more investors have started to believe that the company will make more efficient tractors and people will flock to buy. the use of the word and is wrong. it should be That

ANS: D

D illogically says shares have risen.. logically it should be.. value of shares has risen.