Final answer:
The statement that the verb in a sentence with fractions must agree with the object of the 'of phrase' is false. The verb should agree with the main subject of the sentence, which might be influenced by the object of the 'of phrase' if it dictates its number, as seen in examples with singular or plural objects.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question poses the notion that when using fractions in a sentence, the verb should agree with the object of the 'of phrase'. This is actually false. In English grammar, subject-verb agreement is critical and the verb should agree with the main subject of the sentence, not necessarily the object of the 'of phrase'. For instance, in the sentence 'Half of the apples are rotten', 'half' is the subject and 'apples' is the object of the 'of phrase'. Despite 'apples' being plural, 'half' (as a fraction) acts as a singular subject, and the verb 'are' agrees with it.
Furthermore, it is essential to realize that the agreement may vary when the fraction is a part of a compound subject or when it stands alone. For example, 'One-third of the cake has been eaten' versus 'One-third of the cakes have been eaten'. In the first sentence, 'cake' is singular, so the verb 'has' is used, while in the second sentence, 'cakes' is plural, requiring the use of 'have'. This demonstrates that the verb must agree in number with the actual subject, which may be influenced by the object of the 'of phrase' only when that object determines the number of the actual subject.