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.

Because entertaining is such a competitive business, a group of singers or musicians need a manager to help market the music.

  1. singers or musicians need a manager

  2. singers and musicians need a manager

  3. singers and musicians need managers

  4. singers or musicians needs the manager

  5. singers or musicians needs a manager
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): In this sentence the subject is a ‘group of singers or musicians’. Hence, the verb need is incorrect, and needs to be rectified to ‘needs’.

Explanation for (2): This option changes the meaning of the sentence, without correcting the error of subject-verb agreement.

Explanation for (3): This option changes the meaning of the sentence, without correcting the error of subject-verb agreement.
Explanation for (4): This option corrects the error of subject-verb agreement but changes the meaning of the sentence. Justification for (5): In this sentence the subject is a ‘group of singers or musicians’. Hence, the verb need is incorrect, and needs to be rectified to ‘needs’. This option corrects the error.

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