Inconsistency bt answers: please help!!

[Jamie]

Hi there:

I made notecards for some GMATPrep problems and as I was reviewing them, I found an inconsistency in the explanations. The explanations were copied from Manhattan GMAT GMATPrep Verbal Forum.

Question 1: Out of America's fascination with all things antique have grown a market for bygone styles of furniture and fixtures that are bringing back the chaise lounge, the overstuffed sofa, and the claw-footed bathtub. --> OA reads, "things antique has grown a market for bygone styles of furniture and fixtures that is bringing"
--According to the explanation provided in one of the posts from this forum says, "market" is the subject for both "have grown" and "are bringing"; therefore, we need an answer with both singular verbs. okay... now let's look at the second question.

Question2: With a new park, stadium, and entertainment complex along the Delaware River, Trenton, New Jersey, is but one of a large number of communities that is looking to use its waterfront as a way for it to improve the quality of urban life and attract new businesses. ---> OA reads, "are looking to use their waterfronts to improve the quality of urban life and attract"
---According to the explanation provided in one of the posts from this forum says, " 'that' refers to "communities" and therefore the verb has to be plural".

I am very confused with the use of "that". If the question 2's explanation were correct then isn't "furniture and fixtures" the subject for "are bringing back" in question 1???? When does "that" refer to the noun that comes immediately before, and when does it not? To me, questions 1 and 2 share same type of S+V agreement :-((((

Ron, please help me...

Thanks so much,
Jamie

[Guest]

although the question is not intended for me, i want to write my 2 cents:

If the question 2's explanation were correct then isn't "furniture and fixtures" the subject for "are bringing back"

"that" can refer to "furniture and fixtures" and it can refer to "market" also...but only "market" would make sense here. Moreover, "for bygone styles of furniture and fixtures" is a prepositional phrase, which, generally, is omitted to check SV.

When does "that" refer to the noun that comes immediately before, and when does it not? To me, questions 1 and 2 share same type of S+V agreement :-((((

Well, it may refer to immidiate one and it may not.
When--You should see the context, whether immediately preceding noun is making sense or not. if Yes, then it is the immediately preceding one, otherwise not.

[RonPurewal]

in #1, the number of the verb (singular vs. plural) determines whether "that" refers to "market" or "styles of furniture and fixtures".
a market for bygone styles of furniture and fixtures that are bringing back... --> plural "are" mandates plural subject
a market for bygone styles of furniture and fixtures that is bringing back... --> singular "is" mandates singular subject

at this point, it comes down to logic. it would be ludicrous to say that the (styles of) furniture and fixtures themselves are bringing back blah blah blah, but it makes perfect sense to say that the market is doing so.
therefore, you pick the choice in which the verb corresponds to "market".

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in #2, the construction "one of..." (NOT "the one of...") actually disqualifies "one" from being the subject.
i've expounded on this idea here.

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all this discussion of "one" and "only one" has lodged this song firmly in my head.