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20 Oct 2021, 01:30
Kudos
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D
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:
53% (01:23) correct
47%
(01:27)
wrong
based on 259
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Whooper swans were sighted yesterday evening flying over the island of Inch; it seems the white flock arrived from the north and are heading southwestwards.
(A) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwestwards
(B) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwest
(C) flock have arrived from the north and is heading southward
(D) flock arrived from the north and is headed in a southwesterly direction
(E) swans arrived from the north and is heading southwest
(A) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwestwards
(B) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwest
(C) flock have arrived from the north and is heading southward
(D) flock arrived from the north and is headed in a southwesterly direction
(E) swans arrived from the north and is heading southwest
21 Oct 2021, 01:15
Kudos
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Whooper swans were sighted yesterday evening flying over the island of Inch; it seems the white flock arrived from the north and are heading southwestwards.
(A) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwestwards
Incorrect.
This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The singular subject flock does not agree with the plural verb are.
What helps us identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question as well as identify this mistake is the following Stop Sign: A pseudo-plural singular subject
Flock is a confusing word. It refers to more than one animal, which makes us think of it a plural subject, but it is, in fact, singular (the plural is flocks).
(B) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwest
Incorrect.
This answer choice repeats the original mistake. The singular subject flock does not agree with the plural verb are.
Flock is a confusing word. It refers to more than one animal, which makes us think of it a plural subject, but it is, in fact, singular (the plural is flocks).
(C) flock have arrived from the north and is heading southward
Incorrect.
While this answer choice corrects the original mistake, by changing the plural verb are to the singular verb is, it creates a new Subject Verb Agreement mistake. The singular subject flock does not agree with the plural verb have.
Flock is a confusing word. It refers to more than one animal, which makes us think of it a plural subject, but it is, in fact, singular (the plural is flocks).
Furthermore, this answer choice changes the meaning of the original sentence by changing the word southwest to southward.
(D) flock arrived from the north and is headed in a southwesterly direction
Great!
This answer choice corrects the original Subject Verb Agreement mistake by changing the plural verb are (heading) to the singular verb is (headed), to match the singular subject flock.
Note that the difference between heading and headed is insignificant in this case, and does not affect the choice of the correct answer. The two phrases mean the same thing.
In addition, although this answer choice is more redundant than the others, it is the only answer choice that is grammatically correct. According to the Sentence Correction Work Order, we only eliminate redundant answer choices if we have eliminated all the answer choices with grammatical/logical mistakes and still are left with more than one remaining answer to choose from.
(E) swans arrived from the north and is heading southwest
Incorrect.
This answer choice replaces the original mistake with a similar Subject Verb Agreement mistake. The plural subject swans does not agree with the singular verb is.
Remember: in Subject Verb Agreement questions, if both the subject and the verb are underlined, you need to check them both. You cannot assume that the subject will remain the same in all five answer choices and that only the verb will change, and vice versa: you cannot assume that the verb will remain the same in all five answer choices and that only the subject will change.
General Discussion
20 Oct 2021, 02:47
Kudos
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(A) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwestwards
A flock is a collective noun which requires a singular verb. Instead of "are", it needs to be "is"
(B) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwest
Once again the plural verb, "are", makes this choice incorrect.
(C) flock have arrived from the north and is heading southward
While "are" is corrected to "is", the plural "have" does not agree with the singular "flock".
(D) flock arrived from the north and is headed in a southwesterly direction
Corrects the initial mistake by changing "are" to "is".
(E) swans arrived from the north and is heading southwest
In this answer choice the plural "swans" does not agree with the singular "is".
Answer D
A flock is a collective noun which requires a singular verb. Instead of "are", it needs to be "is"
(B) flock arrived from the north and are heading southwest
Once again the plural verb, "are", makes this choice incorrect.
(C) flock have arrived from the north and is heading southward
While "are" is corrected to "is", the plural "have" does not agree with the singular "flock".
(D) flock arrived from the north and is headed in a southwesterly direction
Corrects the initial mistake by changing "are" to "is".
(E) swans arrived from the north and is heading southwest
In this answer choice the plural "swans" does not agree with the singular "is".
Answer D
