1

Low levels of radiation from medical imaging increases a person's risk of cancer.

I read this sentence in the English textbook for high school students. And I want to know why the subject Low levels of radiation (which I thought was plural) can be matched with increases (singular).

Improve this question
4
  • Do provide the source.
    – Xanne
    Commented Oct 24 at 7:34
  • Low levels is an amount (of radiation). Search S-V agreement with amounts of something for more info.
    – HippoSawrUs
    Commented Oct 24 at 7:35
  • Mistakes like this with complex noun phrases are common -- it's easy to get confused about which is the head noun. The writer intuitively paired the verb with either "imaging" or "radiation", which are closer to the verb.
    – Barmar
    Commented Oct 24 at 19:48
  • @Barmar It's not a mistake. It's got a covert clause as a subject.
    – Araucaria - Him
    Commented Oct 26 at 21:06

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

It's wrong. The (head word of the) subject is "levels", which is plural. The correct verb form is "increase".

The, of radiation and from medical imaging are merely modifiers and have no effect on the verb or number of the subject.

To emphasise: The pronomial for "Low levels of radiation from medical imaging" can only be "they".

Improve this answer
3
  • Looking at COCA, "low levels" always takes the plural, at least in the first few relevant results: "we basically have no idea what low levels of radiation do to populations." (Metafilter) "The low levels of care right now are shameful." (Metafilter) "The low levels of CO2 pre industrialization ... are clearly wrong. "(Watts Up With That blog) "And history suggests that low levels of inflation ... are better" (Fabius Maximus blog) "Low levels of water ... are typically the result of condensation" (Testoil.com) "Low levels of porphyrins are difficult to measure accurately." (Science Blogs)
    – Stuart F
    Commented Oct 24 at 10:28
  • This is old news, no longer relevant. It seriously upset me, years ago; I believed it was written in stone, but that is not the case. Sorry.
    – HippoSawrUs
    Commented Oct 25 at 8:39
  • It is written in stone.
    – Greybeard
    Commented Oct 25 at 13:26

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .