Hi tutors

Please clarify this doubt...General verbal concept..So no source for this

SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT

1.This Pattern of climatic Changes affects the crops ('Pattern of changes' is the singular subject here so verb affects agrees with the singular subject) (No Doubt here)

2. The pattern of climatic changes that affect/affects the crops can be mitigated thorugh various procedures (should the Verb affect/affects agree with plural subject 'climatic changes' or singular subject 'pattern of climatic changes') (Doubt here)

3. This instructor is one of the MGMAT instructors who is/are really helping the students achieve their dream score (Should verb agree with first subject instructor or second subject instructors) (Doubt here)


The below question is from a document Called "Brutal Sc's' (Not a banned source)


4. A higher interest rate is only one of the factors, albeit an important one, that keeps/Keep the housing market from spiraling out of control, like it did earlier in the decade. (should Verb Keep agree with the singular subject 'interest rate' or the plural subject 'factors')


Thanks a lot
KKC

Hi Tutors,

Could you please reply to my query


Thanks
KKC

this is addressed in several other threads, most notably this one. please search before you post; thanks.

this one could go either way; you could interpret it as "the pattern ... that affects crops", or you could interpret it as "climatic changes that affect crops", depending on context.
in a problem like this one, where either of two interpretations could make sense, you have to check out the surrounding context; there will probably be some other term in there somewhere whose singular/plural form resolves this issue.
for instance, let's say the underline stopped at "that affect crops", but then the subsequent words were "...and thereby cause famines". in this case, the unambiguously plural verb ("cause") would have to be in parallel construction with change/changes, so you'd have to pick "change" and the subject would have to be taken to be "changes".



should be 'are', because it just says 'only one' (not 'THE only one'). see the last post here.