make/makes

[Unregistered]

Hi, simple question but I can't make up my mind right now:
Is it .... knowledge combined with enthusiasm and commitment to social justice ___make or makes _____a an ideal candidate....?
Thanks

 

[mmasny]

I would say that both are acceptable, but I am not a teacher.

 

[euncu]

Hi, simple question but I can't make up my mind right now:
Is it .... knowledge combined with enthusiasm and commitment to social justice ___make or makes _____a an ideal candidate....?
Thanks

.... knowledge ((combined with (enthusiasm and commitment to social justice)) ___make or makes _____a an ideal candidate....?

or

.... knowledge (combined with enthusiasm) and commitment(to social justice) ___make or makes _____a an ideal candidate....?

 

[tedtmc]

Hi, simple question but I can't make up my mind right now:
Is it .... knowledge combined with enthusiasm and commitment to social justice ___make or makes _____a an ideal candidate....?
Thanks

not a teacher

The subject is plural, so 'make'.
I know 'an ideal candidate' is used as a metaphor but I do not think it is not appropriate.
You can say 'knowledge is a prerequisite though.
Or knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment are the ingredients ...

 

[jamiep]

Knowledge combined with enthusiasm and commitment to social justice makes a an ideal candidate....?

Using "make" here doesn't sound right to me.

However, "Knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment combined make......" sounds ok to me.

 

[mmasny]

not a teacher

The subject is plural, so 'make'.
I know 'an ideal candidate' is used as a metaphor but I do not think it is not appropriate.
You can say 'knowledge is a prerequisite though.

It is not so obvious that the subject is plural. As euncu said, there are two syntactic ways of understanding this sentence. In one of them 'knowledge' is the singular subject.
However, I think the plural form would be acceptale even in knowledge combined with enthusiasm make an ideal candidate....
Maybe it's wrong but I could say that anyway and I don't care