Question

Choose the correct option to correct the sentence: "No one besides you brother know the fact."

• A. No one besides your brother have known the fact.
• B. No one besides your brother have knowing the fact.
• C. No one besides your brother known the fact.
• D. No one besides your brother knows the fact.

Hint:

When you see an indefinite pronoun (like anyone, nobody, each, either), treat it as a singular subject. The verb that follows must be singular (e.g., knows, is, has). Ignore any prepositional phrases (like 'besides your brother') that come between the subject and the verb when determining agreement.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests two concepts: subject-verb agreement with indefinite pronouns and the correct use of possessive adjectives. Indefinite pronouns like 'no one', 'everyone', and 'someone' are singular and require a singular verb. A noun (brother) being possessed requires a possessive adjective (your).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The original sentence is "No one besides you brother know the fact."
There are two errors:
1. Possessive Adjective: "you brother" is incorrect. It should be "your brother".
2. Subject-Verb Agreement: The subject is "No one", which is singular. Therefore, the verb must also be singular. The singular form of 'know' in the simple present tense is 'knows'.
Let's analyze the options:
(i) Incorrect. 'have known' is a plural verb form.
(ii) Incorrect. 'have knowing' is grammatically incorrect.
(iii) Incorrect. 'known' is a past participle and cannot be used as the main verb here without an auxiliary.
(iv) Correct. It correctly uses the possessive adjective 'your' and the singular verb 'knows' to agree with the subject 'No one'.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct sentence is No one besides your brother knows the fact.