Multiple choice

Directions: This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

Only a person willing to take responsibility for her actions and the consequences of those actions will be able to ensure that her actions conform to universal human principles of morality and righteousness contrary to which one might exist no more, as the wages of sin are death.

  1. the wages of sin are death

  2. the wage of sin are death

  3. the wages of sin is death

  4. the wage of sin is death

  5. wages of sins are death

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): Error of subject-verb agreement

Some nouns are plural in form, but singular in meaning. In the given sentence, the subject 'wages' is plural in form, but singular in meaning. But 'are' is a plural verb, hence the sentence is incorrect. Also, this is an idiomatic phrase.

Explanation for (2): The verb 'are' is incorrect as it is plural and 'wage' is a singular subject. Also, this is an incorrect idiomatic phrase.
Justification for (3): 'Wages' like politics, news, mathematics, etc. is plural in form, but singular in meaning. The given option corrects the error of subject-verb agreement. Singular subject 'wages', is followed by singular verb 'is'. Also, this is an idiomatic phrase. Hence, the sentence is correct. 
Explanation for (4): The singular form 'wage' makes the phrase look jerky. 'Wages' is the appropriate usage. Explanation for (5): Though grammatically correct, the sentence does not represent correct phrasal usage.