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I'm working on an SAT grammar test and the sentence I'm struggling with is:

This variety of tasks attract individuals with a broad range of experience.

The answer they marked correct is "attracts."

Then I was wondering would it be "attracts" or "attract?" When I search it up, some say attracts, because "attract" is the singular verb while "variety" is the singular subject. However, others say that "attract" is the correct one.

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    Singular: this variety attracts them. Plural: these varieties attract them.
    – FumbleFingers
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 11:53
  • In the UK, 'SAT' is/was an acronym, and thus 'a SAT ...' is required. I believe 'SAT' is an initialism in the US, hence 'as SAT'. // 'Search it up' is ungrammatical.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 12:08
  • @Edwin Ashworth Ungrammatical, you're right. But there's a long tradition of adding 'up' to such verbs, eh? To look up a word. To think up an excuse. "To fright the animals and to kill them up".
    – Old Brixtonian
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 13:51

2 Answers 2

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You don't give all the information supplied in the test. This might be of some help.

I don't consider 'variety' here to be classifiable as a number-transparent quantificational noun. Though arguably ambiguous, 'variety' here defaults to 'diversity' ... as in the following example:

  • Manufacturers need large sales to justify offering a big variety in export markets. [Cambridge Dictionary]

In contrast, with 'a variety of tasks were/was undertaken', '[a] variety [of]' can be seen as a number-transparent quantificational noun (a CGEL term; see StoneyB's answer here). This licenses 'A variety / large number / wealth of tasks were undertaken' (using notional agreement). Below is an example showing this usage:

  • A variety of courses are offered to help students meet requirements. [ACES; GrammarGuide]

But I believe 'This variety of tasks attracts individuals with a broad range of experience', as a paraphrase of 'The large variety of tasks which is available attracts individuals with a broad range of experience' – where singular variety (postmodified) requires attracts – is intended.

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  • It could just as easily mean "this particular variety of tasks" - as in "this variety of rose attracts honey bees." Does each individual have a broad range of experience, or do the applicants have diverse experience? It's kind of a crappy question, but if you apply a rule to it, you probably get the same answer regardless of how you interpret it.
    – Phil Sweet
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 13:59
  • ... variety of [tasks which are available] ... ??
    – Phil Sweet
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 14:14
  • Yes, it's a poor question. I've stated which possibility I believe to be the default reading, but OP doesn't give enough detail to be sure the question is at fault. But 'a variety of', like 'a wealth of', can be a compound quantifier taking plural agreement.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 14:53
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EDIT - As pointed out by @Hot Licks, my original answer was in error - I misread the question. I have changed the answer to make more sense.

Unfortunately this is a bone of contention that appears repeatedly on language forums. Some people (inexplicably and wrongly in my opinion) insist that such a sentence requires a plural verb.

To me it is quite obvious that the sentence is basically as follows:

This variety attracts individuals with a broad range of experience.

which has an added clause, thus:

This variety (of tasks) attracts individuals with a broad range of experience.

Answer

In my opinion it is clearly and obviously singular. Therefore I agree with the answer provided by the examiners.

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  • @Hot Licks - Oops! Thanks for catching that. Somewhere along the line I lost track. I'll edit my answer.
    – chasly - supports Monica
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 12:43
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    You also don't reference the number-transparent q-n possibility. 'A number of ' always takes plural agreement; 'a handful of', ' a percentage of', ... 'a wealth of' (+ noun count-usage) can do.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Nov 20, 2020 at 12:55

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