Sentence Correction

Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A) extending
(B) extends
(C) extended
(D) it extended
(E) is extending

The correct Answer is A but if we have these two choices, then which one would be correct. Choices are

A. Extending
B. That is extending

How would you make meaning so clear to understand that only A can be true. IF B would be wrong, why??

If those were the options, A would be correct.
If there was an option with that, it would be "that extends" and in that case, A would not be extending, but something else.

Here are simpler examples of varying correct sentences using extend:

1. It is a small city, extending from A to B. Correct.
2. It is a small city that extends from A to B. Correct.
2a. It is a small city that is extending from A to B. Awkward and Incorrect.
3. It was a small city, extending from A to B. Correct.
4. It was a small city that extended from A to B. Correct.


Let me know if this helps

Check if the word with -ing is working as progressive or gerund

shekhar.kataria wrote:Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

A. Extending
B. That is extending

How would you make meaning so clear to understand that only A can be true. IF B would be wrong, why??

IMO BOTH 'would be' viable options.

a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree.. and That is extending for more than30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest

furthermore, I think "THAT EXTENDS vs That is extending" - later is right as we are talking about a phenomenon that is happening now (not as a general practice). Note the word " living organism on Earth"

shekhar.kataria wrote:Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A) extending
(B) extends
(C) extended
(D) it extended
(E) is extending

This question is much similar to this : https://www.beatthegmat.com/football-team-t106071.html

shekhar.kataria wrote:The correct Answer is A but if we have these two choices, then which one would be correct. Choices are

A. Extending
B. That is extending

How would you make meaning so clear to understand that only A can be true. IF B would be wrong, why??

We have to see what are the two actions that are parallel ( same ideas )
1. ....spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago
2. extending for more than30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

If we use "that", then it would imply that the 2nd one is in series with the "...that is an interwoven ..". This is not a correct parallelism.

1. a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned .....and extending -- both the participle are applicable for the rootlike tentacle.

2. a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned....and that is extending.....- here it means that the giant fungus is extending.

The first one is more logical. Its always the tentacle that extends ( such as human hair,nail..) and not the body itself.

Hope this helps !!

shekhar.kataria wrote:Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A) extending
(B) extends
(C) extended
(D) it extended
(E) is extending

The correct Answer is A but if we have these two choices, then which one would be correct. Choices are

A. Extending
B. That is extending

How would you make meaning so clear to understand that only A can be true. IF B would be wrong, why??

A conjunction such as AND must connect PARALLEL FORMS.
A giant fungus that is AN INTERWOVEN FILIGREE and that is EXTENDING.
This construction is not viable: an interwoven filigree and extending are not parallel forms.

Also, the intention here is to use extending to refer not to the fungus itself but to the FILIGREE: a giant fungus that is an interwoven FILIGREE spawned by a single fertilized spore and extending for more than 30 acres.

In the OA, spawned and extending both serve as ADJECTIVES describing the FILIGREE.
What KIND of filigree?
A filigree SPAWNED by a single fertilized spore.
A filigree EXTENDING for more than 30 acres.
Thus, spawned and extending are PARALLEL FORMS.

Can voice be the reason for it ? As "...is ..spawned by (Passive)....and extending (Active)...." is shown here ?