Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 5: Problem 13

The company director or his legal representatives is to attend the meeting, and almost everyone thinks the news will be bad. A. The company director or his legal representatives is to attend the meeting, and almost everyone thinks B. The company director or his legal representatives are to attend the meeting, and almost everyone think C. The company director or his legal representatives are to attend the meeting, and almost everyone thinks D. The company director or his legal representatives is to attend the meeting, and almost everyone think E. Both the singular and plural form are correct so C and D.

Short Answer

Expert verified
C. The company director or his legal representatives are to attend the meeting, and almost everyone thinks.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the subject

Determine the subject that dictates verb agreement. The subject in the first part of the statement is 'The company director or his legal representatives.'
02

Determine subject-verb agreement for 'or'

When subjects are joined by 'or,' the verb should agree with the part of the subject closer to the verb. In this case, 'representatives' is closer, which is plural.
03

Choose the correct verb for the first part

Since 'representatives' is plural, we use 'are' instead of 'is.' Therefore, the sentence should start as 'The company director or his legal representatives are to attend the meeting'.
04

Identify the subject for the second part

For the second part, the subject is 'almost everyone,' which is a singular indefinite pronoun.
05

Determine subject-verb agreement for 'almost everyone'

'Almost everyone' is singular, so the verb should be 'thinks' instead of 'think'.
06

Combine corrected parts

Combine the parts with correct verb forms: 'The company director or his legal representatives are to attend the meeting, and almost everyone thinks the news will be bad.'
07

Choose the correct option

Compare the corrected sentence with the options given. The sentence matches with option C.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

subject-verb agreement
In English, the verb must agree with its subject in both number and person. When determining subject-verb agreement, it's important first to identify the subject. For example, when subjects are joined by 'or,' the verb should agree with the subject that is closest to it. In the sentence 'The company director or his legal representatives are to attend the meeting,' 'representatives' is closer to the verb and is plural, so the correct verb form is 'are' and not 'is.' Similarly, in 'almost everyone thinks,' 'almost everyone' is a singular subject, so the verb should be 'thinks,' not 'think.'
indefinite pronouns
Indefinite pronouns refer to nonspecific persons or things. They can be singular, plural, or both depending on the context. Common singular indefinite pronouns include 'everyone,' 'someone,' 'anyone,' and 'everything.' For instance, in our sentence, 'almost everyone' is an indefinite pronoun and it is treated as singular. Thus, the correct verb form is 'thinks.'
Understanding whether these pronouns are singular or plural is key to ensuring proper subject-verb agreement.
grammar rules
Grammar rules form the foundation of writing correctness and clarity. For sentence correction exercises like the one presented, it’s vital to follow rules governing subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, and verb forms. For example, conjunctions like 'or' influence the verb choice by making it agree with the nearest subject, whereas 'and' would make the verb plural. Additionally, knowledge of pronouns and their referents can help clarify who or what is performing the action in a sentence and ensure that the verbs align correctly.
verb forms
Verb forms change to indicate tense, mood, and agree with their subjects. In sentence correction, choosing the right form of a verb is crucial. The verb 'to be' can be particularly tricky, as its form changes based on number and person. For example:
  • Singular: 'The company director is to attend.'
  • Plural: 'His legal representatives are to attend.'
  • Mixed subjects with 'or': 'The company director or his representatives are to attend.'

In the given solution, recognizing the correct form of 'to be' ensures that 'representatives are' aligns properly with the plural subject. Remember these points, and selecting the right verb forms becomes much simpler.

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

If \(57 x+29 y=105\) and \(4 x+58 y=100\), then the value of \(y\) is nearest: A. 2 B. \(52 / 29\) C. 1.655 D. 31 E. Cannot be determined

What speed must a driver maintain for the 25 miles that remain of a trip if he wants to average 50 mph for the entire journey and he has taken 36 minutes to complete the first 55 miles? A. 20 mph B. 25 mph C. 30 mph D. 35 mph E. 40 mph

If \(1 / y=1 / x+2 / x\) and \(x=10\), then \(y\) is: A. \(10 / 9\) B. \(10 / 3\) C. \(20 / 9\) D. 8/9 E. None of the above

The CEO was convinced that the legal advice was wrong, and he made sure that everyone knew that he did not think so. A. everyone knew that he did not think so. B. everyone knew that he thought not. C. everyone knew that he doubt it. D. everyone knew that he did think so. E. everyone knew that he thought so

Is \(x\) is positive or negative? (1) \(x^2-5 x=-6\) (2) \(4 / x=x\) A. 1 alone, not 2 alone B. 2 alone, not 1 alone C. 1 and 2 together (need both) D. 1 alone or 2 alone E. 1 and 2 together are not sufficient
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on English Textbooks

Phonetics

Read Explanation

5 Paragraph Essay

Read Explanation

Discourse

Read Explanation

English Grammar Summary

Read Explanation

Blog

Read Explanation

Lexis and Semantics Summary

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free