Question

According to the Indian Census Report of 2011, the number of girls enrolled in government schools has grown every year since 1990.

• A. the number of girls enrolled in government schools has grown
• B. the number of girls who are in government schools have grown
• C. there has been growth in the number of girls in government schools
• D. a growing number of girls have been in government schools
• E. girls have been growing in number in government schools

Hint:

Remember the "The number vs. A number" rule. The number of [plural noun] is singular. A number of [plural noun] is plural. This is a very common trick in grammar questions on competitive exams.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests subject-verb agreement and conciseness in sentence construction. The key is to identify the subject of the sentence and ensure the verb agrees with it in number (singular or plural).

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
The original sentence is grammatically correct, but the question asks us to choose the best-formed phrase from the given options to replace it. We must evaluate each option for correctness and clarity.
Subject-Verb Agreement Rule:
- "The number of..." is a singular subject and takes a singular verb (e.g., has, is, was).
- "A number of..." is a plural subject and takes a plural verb (e.g., have, are, were).
Let's analyze the options:
(A) the number of girls enrolled in government schools has grown
The subject is "the number," which is singular. The verb "has grown" is also singular. This sentence is grammatically correct, direct, and concise.
(B) the number of girls who are in government schools have grown
The subject is "the number," which is singular. The verb "have grown" is plural. This is a subject-verb agreement error.
(C) there has been growth in the number of girls in government schools
This sentence is grammatically correct. "There has been..." is a valid construction. However, it is slightly more wordy and less direct than option (A). The active voice construction in (A) ("The number... has grown") is generally preferred over the more passive "There has been..." construction.
(D) a growing number of girls have been in government schools
The subject here is "a growing number," which is treated as plural, so the plural verb "have been" is correct. However, this phrase slightly changes the meaning. "A growing number" suggests a currently increasing quantity, whereas "the number has grown" refers to an increase that has occurred over a period of time, which aligns better with the context "since 1990."
(E) girls have been growing in number in government schools
This is grammatically correct but is wordier and less formal than option (A).

Step 4: Final Answer:
Option (A) is the best choice because it is grammatically correct (correct subject-verb agreement), concise, and directly states the intended meaning in a clear and active voice.