<p>Here are some writing questions I came across that I couldn't justify or didn't know the appropriate idiom. Any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>At the reception were the chattering guests, the three-tiered cake, and the lively music that have become characteristic of many wedding celebrations.</p>
<p>The correct answer is "no error"
but why isn't the answer characteric of. Shouldn't this be a noun agreement error because chattering guests, cake, and music make it plural and thus corrected should read "characteristicS of"</p>
<p>Next, I believe these two are idiom questions.</p>
<p>Opposite to most people, Annie, a good photographer herself...</p>
<p>AND</p>
<p>Not very particular in nesting sites, house wrens may nest in birdhouses, mailboxes, buildings....</p>
<p>How would you fixed the underlined portions?</p>
The correct answer is "no error"
but why isn't the answer characteric of. Shouldn't this be a noun agreement error because chattering guests, cake, and music make it plural and thus corrected should read "characteristicS of"
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"Characteristic" is an adjective describing the "chattering guests, cake, and music", so it means "common"; it's not a noun so it doesn't need to be pluralized.</p>
<p>"Opposite to most people, Annie, a good photographer herself..."
- Unlike most people...</p>
<p>"Not very particular in nesting sites, house wrens may nest in birdhouses, mailboxes, buildings...."
Not very particular about nesting sites..</p>