[Grammar] Students must take an exam to become a certified accountant.

[vpriest]

Example: Students must take an exam to become a certified accountant.

Is the above sentence academically okay, or should I keep the object plural?

Thanks!

 

[Rover_KE]

vpriest, please note that I have changed your thread title.

Extract from the Posting Guidelines:

'Thread titles should include all or part of the word/phrase being discussed.'

 

[emsr2d2]

And I have put your post in the default font and size. There is no need to deviate from the standard offering.

 

[emsr2d2]

In answer to your question, the singular is correct. Each exam permits each student to become a certified accountant (if they pass, of course!)

 

[vpriest]

Would it be academically wrong if I make it plural?
Thank you!

 

[emsr2d2]

Do you mean "grammatically wrong"?

 

[vpriest]

Do you mean "grammatically wrong"?

Both. In formal academic essays, I wonder if there is a preference in such cases.

 

[probus]

To me, parallelism is important.

A student must pass an exam to become a certified accountant.:tick:

Students must pass an exam to become certified accountants.:tick:

Yours mixed a singular subject, student, with a plural outcome and was therefore wrong.

I wish I could become two certified accountants just by passing an exam. I'd be able to bill out far more hours.:-D