Question

Select the best sentence from among the given choices. (A) The young couple who decides to open a doggy day care in a town where a lot of people commute to work may have a great idea, too. (B) The young couple that decides to open a doggy day care in a town where a lot of people commute to work may have a great idea, to. (C) The young couple who decides to open a doggy day care in a town where a lot of people commute to work may have a great idea, to. (D) The young couple which decides to open a doggy day care in a town where a lot of people commute to work may have a great idea, too.

Short answer

The correct sentence is: (A) The young couple who decides to open a doggy daycare in a town where a lot of people commute to work may have a great idea, too.

Step-by-step solution

In English, we use "who" to refer to people and "that" or "which" to refer to objects or things. In this exercise, the pronoun is referring to "the young couple," which is a group of people. This means we should use "who" instead of "that" or "which". Out of the given choices, sentences (A), (C), and (D) use the correct pronoun ("who"), while sentence (B) uses "that" and sentence (D) uses "which". #Step 2: Check for Subject-Verb Agreement#

The subject of the sentence is the singular noun "couple," so the verb should also be in the singular form. The verb in this sentence is "decides," which is the correct singular form. Sentences (A), (B), and (C) correctly use the singular verb "decides." Therefore, sentence (D) can be eliminated. #Step 3: Check for Punctuation Errors#

Punctuation is important in a sentence to convey the intended meaning. In these sentences, the comma placement seems to be proper, separating the independent clause and the dependent clause. Now, we need to check for the correct use of commas with a conjunction and whether it is appropriate in the given context. #Step 4: Check Spelling Errors#

The correct spelling of the word "too" (meaning "also") should be used in these sentences. Sentences (B) and (C) incorrectly use "to" instead of "too." Combining the information from Steps 1-4, we can conclude that the correct sentence is: (A) The young couple who decides to open a doggy daycare in a town where a lot of people commute to work may have a great idea, too.

Key concepts

Subject-Verb Agreement

When sentences are constructed, one of the most crucial rules they must follow is subject-verb agreement. This means the subject of the sentence, which can be singular or plural, must match the verb in number. For instance, a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb.

In the given exercise, the subject 'the young couple' is treated as a singular entity. Even though 'couple' refers to two people, it is considered a single unit in terms of grammatical structure. Therefore, the correct verb form to accompany 'the young couple' is 'decides,' which is singular. This understanding eliminates any option that incorrectly pairs the subject with a plural verb, helping students solidify their comprehension of subject-verb agreement.

Sentence Structure

Understanding sentence structure is fundamental to constructing clear and coherent sentences. A well-structured sentence typically includes a subject, a verb, and may also have an object or complement. It is important to ensure that additional phrases or clauses within the sentence do not disrupt the primary subject-verb-object order unless doing so for stylistic reasons that enhance clarity.

In our exercise, the focus is on maintaining the integrity of the sentence by appropriately using relative pronouns like 'who,' which connects the additional information about the young couple to the main clause without confusion. When the pronoun and verb are correct, as they are in the selected sentence (A), the sentence's structure smoothly guides the reader through the idea being expressed, highlighting the importance of sentence structure in effective communication.

Punctuation Errors

Punctuation marks serve as the traffic signals of language; they tell us when to pause, stop, or expect more. Common punctuation marks include commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points. Using these marks accurately is essential to avoid misunderstandings and to make sure the sentence conveys the message as intended.

In our example, correct comma usage separates the independent clause ('The young couple decides to open a doggy day care') from the dependent clause ('in a town where a lot of people commute to work'), which gives additional information about the location. This separation helps to prevent readers from becoming confused and illustrates the critical role punctuation plays in preserving the meaning and readability of sentences.

Spelling Errors

Even a single misspelled word can detract from the message a sentence is trying to convey. Spelling errors can cause confusion and can often change the meaning of words and, consequently, the entire sentence. In English, some words such as 'to,' 'too,' and 'two' sound alike but have different meanings and spellings, known as homophones.

In our selection, 'too' is often mistakenly replaced with 'to.' 'Too' means 'also' or 'as well,' whereas 'to' is a preposition used in numerous ways, including indicating direction. As shown in the exercise, spelling 'too' correctly is essential, and selecting sentence (A), which uses the right form, demonstrates the importance of spelling accuracy in achieving clear and correct communication.