The following question has a sentence with four parts. Read each sentence to find out whether there is an error in any part and indicate your response. If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d). Two-thirds of the book (a) were (b) rubbish. (c) No error. (d)
B
Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement with Fractions
This question asks us to identify an error in a sentence divided into four parts. The sentence is "Two-thirds of the book were rubbish." We need to check each part for grammatical correctness, particularly focusing on subject-verb agreement.
Analyzing the Sentence Parts
Let's break down the sentence:
- (a) Two-thirds of the book - This is the subject phrase. It involves a fraction ("Two-thirds") followed by "of" and a noun phrase ("the book").
- (b) were - This is the verb. We need to determine if its form (singular or plural) agrees with the subject.
- (c) rubbish. - This is the predicate adjective or complement describing the subject.
- (d) No error. - This option is selected if no error is found in parts (a), (b), or (c).
Subject-Verb Agreement Rule for Fractions
When a fraction or percentage is used as the subject, followed by "of" and a noun, the verb agreement depends on the noun that comes after "of".
- If the noun after "of" is singular or uncountable, the verb should be singular.
- If the noun after "of" is plural, the verb should be plural.
Applying the Rule to the Sentence
In the sentence "Two-thirds of the book were rubbish":
- The fraction is "Two-thirds".
- The noun after "of" is "book".
- The noun "book" is singular.
According to the rule, since the noun "book" is singular, the verb should also be singular.
The verb used is "were". "Were" is the past tense plural form of the verb "to be". The corresponding singular past tense form is "was".
Therefore, the verb "were" does not agree with the singular noun "book". The correct verb should be "was".
Identifying the Error Location
The error is in the verb "were", which is located in part (b) of the sentence.
The correct sentence should be: "Two-thirds of the book was rubbish."
Let's look at the options provided:
- A (part a)
- B (part b)
- C (part c)
- D (no error)
Since the error is in part (b), Option 2 is the correct choice.
| Part | Content | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | Two-thirds of the book | Subject phrase, fraction + singular noun | No |
| (b) | were | Verb, currently plural | Yes (should be singular) |
| (c) | rubbish. | Complement | No |
| (d) | No error. | Indicates no error exists | No (an error exists) |
Conclusion on Sentence Error
The sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error. The subject, "Two-thirds of the book," takes its number from the singular noun "book," requiring a singular verb. The plural verb "were" is used instead of the singular "was". The error is in part (b).
Revision Table: Subject-Verb Agreement Key Points
| Subject Type | Rule for Verb Agreement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fraction/Percentage + 'of' + Singular Noun/Uncountable Noun | Verb is singular | One-third of the pizza was eaten. 50% of the water is contaminated. |
| Fraction/Percentage + 'of' + Plural Noun | Verb is plural | Two-thirds of the students are present. 75% of the apples were rotten. |
| Collective Nouns (acting as single unit) | Verb is singular | The team is ready. |
| Collective Nouns (acting as individuals) | Verb is plural (less common in US English, more in UK English) | The team are arguing amongst themselves. |
| Indefinite Pronouns (e.g., each, either, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, no one, nobody, somebody, someone) | Verb is singular | Everyone is here. |
| Indefinite Pronouns (e.g., few, many, several, both) | Verb is plural | Many were called. |
| Quantifiers (e.g., some, all, most, none, any) + 'of' + Noun | Verb agrees with the noun after 'of' | Some of the cake was eaten. Some of the students are absent. None of the advice was helpful. None of the chairs are comfortable. |
Additional Information on Sentence Correction and Grammar
Sentence correction questions test your knowledge of grammar rules, including subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, parallel structure, tense consistency, and proper use of modifiers. Identifying the subject and the main verb is the crucial first step in checking for subject-verb agreement errors.
Fractions and percentages are common tricky subjects. Remember the core rule: the number of the verb is determined by the noun or pronoun following "of". This also applies to other quantifiers like "some of", "all of", "most of", "half of", "none of", etc.
For example:
- Half of the pie is gone. (pie is singular)
- Half of the pies are gone. (pies is plural)
- Most of the information is useful. (information is uncountable, treated as singular)
- Most of the facts are correct. (facts is plural)
Always read the sentence carefully, identify the core components, and check for common error types.
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Error Spotting
- Select the option that correctly punctuates the given sentence.
I visited Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata last summer. Select the correctly punctuated version of the phrase to fill in the blank and complete the given sentence.
'spent our holiday in France it was very crowded'
Rahim, Rajam and I ________.- Choose the one that correctly represents the sentence in direct speech.
Adit explained that he hadn't had the time to prepare his speech the day before. - Choose the correct idiom for the word highlighted in bold.
"The builder hired several carpenters and electricians to work on the building, but he left them in the lurch when it came time to pay them." Read the given statements and conclusions carefully. Decide which of the given conclusions is true based on the statements.
Statements:
$Z < S < E = J, J \geq T > G = V$
Conclusions:
I. $V < E$
II. $T > Z$
