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Chapter 5: Problem 23

We asked the company’s management team to explain why there had not been better planning but there was no answers. A. there was no answers. B. there was not any one answer. C. there wasn’t none. D. there were no answer. E. there were no answers.

Short Answer

Expert verified
E. there were no answers.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Subject

Look at the subject of the sentence: 'there'. It is important because it helps determine the correct verb form to use in the sentence.
02

Determine the Correct Verb Agreement

In English, verbs must agree with their subjects in number. 'There' is a placeholder subject and the true subject is 'no answers', which is plural. So, the verb must also be plural.
03

Eliminate Incorrect Options

Options A and D use 'was', which is singular, and thus incorrect. Option B uses 'was not any one answer', which is grammatically correct but changes the meaning of the sentence. Option C uses 'wasn’t none', which is a double negation and incorrect.
04

Choose the Correct Answer

Option E uses 'were', which is plural and matches the plural noun 'answers'. So the correct sentence is: 'there were no answers'.

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Key Concepts

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

Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement is essential for clear and correct sentences. In English, the verb must match the number of the subject. For example, a singular subject takes a singular verb, while a plural subject takes a plural verb. This rule applies even if the subject follows the verb, such as in sentences starting with 'there'.
Here's a quick rundown:
  • Singular: The cat runs.
  • Plural: The cats run.
This becomes tricky when sentences start with 'there' because 'there' is just a placeholder. The actual subject follows the verb, as in the sentence from the exercise: 'there were no answers'. The true subject here is 'no answers' (plural), so the verb must be 'were' (plural).
Dealing with Plural and Singular Nouns
Understanding the difference between singular and plural nouns helps with subject-verb agreement. Singular nouns refer to one item, while plural nouns refer to more than one item.
Here are examples:
  • Singular: a cat, an apple, the book
  • Plural: cats, apples, books
When identifying the subject in a sentence, make sure you recognize if it's singular or plural. This helps in choosing the correct verb form. In the exercise sentence 'there were no answers', 'answers' is plural, which means we need the plural verb 'were'. Misidentifying the subject as singular or plural can lead to grammar errors, so paying attention is crucial.
Eliminating Incorrect Options
When faced with multiple-choice questions, it's useful to eliminate options that are clearly incorrect first. This increases the chances of selecting the correct answer. Start by looking for subject-verb agreement. In the exercise:
  • Option A: 'there was no answers' - 'was' is singular but 'answers' is plural.
  • Option D: 'there were no answer' - 'were' is plural but 'answer' is singular.
  • Option C: 'there wasn’t none' - double negatives make it incorrect grammatically.
After eliminating these options, you might have a lesser number of options remaining, making the right choice easier. The correct choice in this exercise is Option E: 'there were no answers'. Here, 'answers' (plural) correctly matches with the verb 'were' (plural).

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