Many a … to understand me

Analyze the question The sentence is "Many a ____ to understand me." We are testing subject-verb agreement with the construction "many a."

Explain the concept "Many a" is followed by a singular noun and takes a singular verb, even though the meaning is plural.

• Many a student has failed.
• Many a man loves football.

Compare this with "many" alone, which takes a plural noun and a plural verb: "Many men fail."

Show the solution

1. The structure begins with "Many a", so we need a singular noun, which means "man" and not "men." This eliminates C and D.
2. A singular subject needs a singular verb, which means "fails" and not "fail." This eliminates A, which has "man fail."
3. D ("men fails") is wrong on both counts, since it mixes a plural noun with a singular verb.
4. That leaves B: "Many a man fails to understand me."

Answer The correct option is B. man fails.

Tip Remember "many a" = one at a time, so it takes a singular noun and a singular verb. If you see "many a" in the question, pick the option with the singular noun and the verb ending in -s. Similar structures include "more than one" (More than one student has complained).