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Verbal Help please

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KSS
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Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   06 May 2003, 16:23
Please tell me if the following usage is correct:


1. The group of companies is ( not "are") .......

2. A group of companies are......

3. The audience is.......

4. The audiences are......

Thanks,
KSS



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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   06 May 2003, 23:44
I'd say 1,3,4 are correct. I'm in doubt about the 2nd one, but more probably it's wrong.
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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   07 May 2003, 00:30
Let me try a Tendulakar shot at this :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

for 1 and 2
"the & a" are articles (definite and indefinite), which indicate that either the speaker knows the group or he does not know the group......so I think it should be

the group of companies is
a group of companies is

another reason is that the subject in both the cases is "group" and so the verb should agree with group, which is singular.

i think the only exception to this rule is "a number of & the number of", in which "a number of" is plural and "the number of" singular


3 and 4 seem to be ok


any body want to differ????
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KSS
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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   07 May 2003, 19:56
brstorewala,
Thanks for the reply. I agree with what you say. I just wanted confirmation not I have it.

Thanks.
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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   16 May 2003, 02:18
KSS

If you do not mind my remark about the grammar, I'd say that "whether" is much better choice when you speak about different possibilities(Esp. during GMAT). Kaplan, Kliff's and the gang suggest to use "if" construction in conditional clauses only.

I didn't mind to offend you, I just know that this case is one of the GMAT traps. :)

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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   16 May 2003, 03:53
SERGEI wrote:
KSS

If you do not mind my remark about the grammar, I'd say that "whether" is much better choice when you speak about different possibilities(Esp. during GMAT). Kaplan, Kliff's and the gang suggest to use "if" construction in conditional clauses only.

I didn't mind to offend you, I just know that this case is one of the GMAT traps. :)

Sergei


Sergei,
I totally agree with you. And would have chosen 'whether' if this were GMAT.
Thanks a lot.
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KSS
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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   16 May 2003, 03:55
SERGEI wrote:
KSS

If you do not mind my remark about the grammar, I'd say that "whether" is much better choice when you speak about different possibilities(Esp. during GMAT). Kaplan, Kliff's and the gang suggest to use "if" construction in conditional clauses only.

I didn't mind to offend you, I just know that this case is one of the GMAT traps. :)

Sergei


Sergei,
I totally agree with you. And would have chosen 'whether' if this were GMAT.
Thanks a lot.
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Zhung Gazi
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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   29 Jan 2004, 15:33
a group of companies are
The group of companies is
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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink] New post   03 Feb 2004, 06:52
KSS wrote:
Please tell me if the following usage is correct:


1. The group of companies is ( not "are") .......

2. A group of companies are......

3. The audience is.......

4. The audiences are......

Thanks,
KSS


Actually, this is not a question that can be answered based on the information above. Strictly speaking, many "group" nouns can be considered either plural or singular depending on whether the action applied is one of the group "as a single entity" or as individual members of the group.

Examples:
The audience is large.
The audience are being seated by an usher as they enter the arena.
The committee is convening at noon.
The committee are discussing the merits of the proposal.
The majority of the Senate is weak.
The majority of the senators are in for a fight this November.
The group of companies is diverse.
The selected group of companies are at risk of becoming insolvent.

Having said that, I do not recall the GMAT ever testing the plural usage of a group noun or pronoun.



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Re: Verbal Help please [#permalink]
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