Sentence Correction

Biologists working in Spain say that their discovery of teeming life in a highly acidic river may not only broaden the search for life, or for evidence of past life, no other planets but also show that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria.

A. show that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria
B. may show that a number of forms of microscopic life is capable of adapting to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all bacteria but the hardiest ones
C. shows a number of forms of microscopic life to be capable to adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought had been hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria
D. showing that a number of forms of microscopic life is capable of adapting to conditions that scientists have long thought had been hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria
E. showing that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all bacteria but the hardiest

IMO C

C is the only option free of all errors. What is OA

I think its A. "showing" and "shows" do not go with the rest of the sentence and option B seems wrong because "may" is already understood from previous usage. What is OA?

I think the answer is A

B: may show is incorrect
C: capable to
D: theory showing that
E: theory showing that

stop@800 wrote:I think the answer is A

B: may show is incorrect
C: capable to
D: theory showing that
E: theory showing that

But the subject here is "discovery" which is singular, so shudnt the verb also be singular ? i.e "Shows" ???

annakool1009 wrote:

stop@800 wrote:I think the answer is A

B: may show is incorrect
C: capable to
D: theory showing that
E: theory showing that

But the subject here is "discovery" which is singular, so shudnt the verb also be singular ? i.e "Shows" ???

This is the reason I picked C, otherwise A is perfectly fine.
Can someone explain this........

gmat009,

you are correct, but C has another error - to be able to adapt is faulty

so A should be the answer IMO.

I think it is among the easiest SC I have seen..

only show goes well with may............may show.............

Rest all options can be eliminated.........

may may show
may shows
may showing
may showing.

None of these make sense.........

so IMO A...........

OA Please

its a really nice question,

Subject is indeed "discovery" but the verb here is not SHOW / SHOWS....while the verb is MAY SHOW...

Hence OA is Op A

Though the subject is singluar, show is correct as "may" always uses plural verbs

e.g. The machine works without making any sound.
The machine may work without making any sound.

vikram4689 wrote:Though the subject is singluar, show is correct as "may" always uses plural verbs

e.g. The machine works without making any sound.
The machine may work without making any sound.

Hi,
Your intention to express is correct. But, I feel 'plural verbs' is not the right terminology to be used. It would be better to say, may is followed by 'bare form of verb'.
e.g. I may go(singular) there.
We may go(plural) there.

'go' is plural form, singular form is 'goes'

GMATGuruNY

Can you please comment on the usage of "flow" with a singular entity. Why it is NOT "shows"

Thank You!

a_new_beginning wrote:GMATGuruNY

Can you please comment on the usage of "flow" with a singular entity. Why it is NOT "shows"

Thank You!

The BARE INFINITIVE form of a verb is to + VERB with the to omitted.
MODAL VERBS include may, might, must, can, could, etc.
In the construction MODAL VERB + OTHER VERB, the other verb is required to be in its bare infinitive form:
Mary may attend the party.
Mary might attend the party.
Mary must attend the party.
Mary can attend the party.
Mary could attend the party.
In every case, the verb in blue is the bare infinitive form of to attend (to attend with the to omitted).

OA: Biologists may...not only broaden...but also show
Here, broaden and show are the bare infinitive forms of to broaden and to show.