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Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
A.Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
B.Over the course of the eighteenth century a tripling in the average output of ironwork was due to the replacement of charcoal by coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, in addition to several improvements in blowing machinery.
C.With charcoal’s being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
D.The replacement of charcoal with coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
E.Charcoal being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, and several improvements in blowing machinery, which tripled the average output of ironwork over the course of the eighteenth century
OA is A
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ceilidh.erickson
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Here's a great example of a GMAT question in which every answer choice sounds somewhat awkward! We can't just go with our ears - we need concrete knowledge of the rules.
B. "A tripling in average output... was due to" is a passive construction, whereas "the average output tripled" is a clearer and more concise active construction. (Passive voice is not inherently wrong, but when asked to choose between two constructions with identical meaning, one active and one passive, choose the active one).
C. "Charcoal's being" is a colloquialism that is grammatically incorrect. It's preferable to say "the replacement of charcoal."
D. "The replacement..." appears to be a subject, but there is no accompanying verb. This is a sentence fragment.
E. This is also a sentence fragment. "Charcoal being replaced" should have an accompanying verb, and the "which" makes the "tripling" part a dependent clause. There is no independent clause in this sentence.
The only grammatically correct answer is A.
A. The meaning is clear, and the modifiers logical. "As a result of X... and because of Y" might sound awkward, but the prepositions do not have to be identical for the construction to be parallel. Correct.Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
A.Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
B.Over the course of the eighteenth century a tripling in the average output of ironwork was due to the replacement of charcoal by coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, in addition to several improvements in blowing machinery.
C.With charcoal's being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
D.The replacement of charcoal with coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
E.Charcoal being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, and several improvements in blowing machinery, which tripled the average output of ironwork over the course of the eighteenth century
B. "A tripling in average output... was due to" is a passive construction, whereas "the average output tripled" is a clearer and more concise active construction. (Passive voice is not inherently wrong, but when asked to choose between two constructions with identical meaning, one active and one passive, choose the active one).
C. "Charcoal's being" is a colloquialism that is grammatically incorrect. It's preferable to say "the replacement of charcoal."
D. "The replacement..." appears to be a subject, but there is no accompanying verb. This is a sentence fragment.
E. This is also a sentence fragment. "Charcoal being replaced" should have an accompanying verb, and the "which" makes the "tripling" part a dependent clause. There is no independent clause in this sentence.
The only grammatically correct answer is A.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
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OptimusPrep
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Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
A.Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
Correct.
B.Over the course of the eighteenth century a tripling in the average output of ironwork was due to the replacement of charcoal by coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, in addition to several improvements in blowing machinery.
Try to avoid passive constructions as much as possible. If you have an answer choice that is grammatically correct and uses active construction, use that
C.With charcoal’s being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
Usage of being is incorrect. The replacement has already been done in the 18th century.
D.The replacement of charcoal with coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
A comma cannot be used to connect these two sentences
E.Charcoal being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, and several improvements in blowing machinery, which tripled the average output of ironwork over the course of the eighteenth century
There is no working verb in this sentence
A.Over the course of the eighteenth century, the average output of ironwork tripled as a result of several improvements in blowing machinery and because coal replaced charcoal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore.
Correct.
B.Over the course of the eighteenth century a tripling in the average output of ironwork was due to the replacement of charcoal by coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, in addition to several improvements in blowing machinery.
Try to avoid passive constructions as much as possible. If you have an answer choice that is grammatically correct and uses active construction, use that
C.With charcoal’s being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
Usage of being is incorrect. The replacement has already been done in the 18th century.
D.The replacement of charcoal with coal for the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore and several improvements in blowing machinery, the average output of ironwork tripled over the eighteenth century.
A comma cannot be used to connect these two sentences
E.Charcoal being replaced by coal as the fuel used in the smelting of iron ore, and several improvements in blowing machinery, which tripled the average output of ironwork over the course of the eighteenth century
There is no working verb in this sentence
