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I have an English course book that contains this question:

Fill in the blank "The book is a set of techniques that systematically __ the learner for interaction with target language speakers".
(A) prepare (B) preparing (C) prepares (D) prepared."

The answer given in the book is A, but isn't C correct? I used Google and found this example "DNA technology is a powerful set of techniques that ALLOWS scientists to examine, change, and create new genetic material"

Tim Lymington
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phuc
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    B is unquestionably ungrammatical, and D is valid but unlikely. Most native speakers (particularly, of BrE rather than AmE) would be quite happy to use the plural verb form A (the reference is to multiple techniques), but the singular C is also perfectly valid (the reference is to a single set). – FumbleFingers Sep 02 '14 at 15:47
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    There is no standard "correct" tense. One may use any verb except (B) when that is present as the subject of the relative clause. Without that, one may use only (B), because it's no longer a relative clause but a participial phrase. – John Lawler Sep 02 '14 at 17:38
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    @FumbleFingers I rather disagree: the question is who is doing the preparing. It is the techniques, not the set nor the book. – tchrist Sep 04 '14 at 01:41
  • @tchrist: It is of course the techniques in both cases (AmE and BrE). But by emphasizing set, you (at some level) stress the fact that the techniques have something in common. You might even stress the fact (if fact it is) that the techniques act collectively (i.e., together) to do the job. The AmE phrase makes no such suggestion, and it might even suggest that the techniques are independent, that they can act independently to each do the job. I'm only talking about possible connotation, perhaps unconscious association. I don't mean that folks necessarily think consciously in these terms. – Drew Sep 04 '14 at 02:25
  • @Drew I don’t see this as some matter of difference between AmE and BrE as you do. It can still be a plural verb in AmE under my analysis. – tchrist Sep 04 '14 at 02:27
  • @tchrist: Actually, I do not see this difference as necessarily (i.e., only) reflecting BrE vs AmE usage. That is part of why I wrote it. If I (AmE) want to stress that some thingies act together or have something germane in common, I might well use the singular. Of course, to be very clear I would probably state that explicitly, or I might use another word than set. But in some contexts I would not refrain from using a singular verb to suggest the difference. IOW, to be sure a listener gets the point I would not rely on this. But to let the idea/feeling sink/soak in unconsciously I might. – Drew Sep 04 '14 at 02:38
  • @Drew Oh, I see now. Thanks for explaining what you meant, since I must have read it uʍopəpᴉsdn the first time. :) – tchrist Sep 04 '14 at 02:40
  • @tchrist: That's the American Way! (But how do you do that?) – Drew Sep 04 '14 at 02:41

1 Answers1

3

The question comes down to who is doing the preparing:

  1. The book prepares
  2. The set prepares
  3. The techniques prepare

I’m pretty certain that the intended meaning here is one where only option 3 makes sense. Therefore, the correct verb is prepare.

tchrist
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