Hey Guys
I can't see the reasoning behind the correct answer.
Here goes the question
The ability of scientist to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions, have become ever more accurate.
"¢The ability of scientist to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions, have become ever more accurate.
"¢The ability of scientist has become ever more accurate in providing models of the atmospheres' complex responses to such changing conditions, such as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
"¢Scientists have become able to provide ever more accurate models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
"¢Scientists have become ever more accurate in their ability for providing models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
"¢Scientist's ability to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions have become ever more accurate.
Any suggestions?
Cheers
Lukas
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lukaswelker
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ceilidh.erickson
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This question is really testing MEANING more than grammar (although there are grammatical issues at play).
The original sentence stripped down to a simple subject-verb-object relationship would be:
The ability (of scientists)... have become ever more accurate.
We could eliminate this answer choice because the subject "ability" and verb "have" do not agree. We should also note that it doesn't make sense to say that an ability has become accurate. A model can be accurate; an ability cannot.
A. The ability of scientist to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions, have become ever more accurate.
Violates subject-verb agreement; doesn't make sense; "such as" is preferred over "like" when listing examples
B. The ability of scientist has become ever more accurate in providing models of the atmospheres' complex responses to such changing conditions, such as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
This fixes the subject-verb issue, but not the meaning issue. Incorrect.
C. Scientists have become able to provide ever more accurate models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
Here, "scientists" is a more appropriate subject, and "accurate" is correctly modifying "models." Correct.
D. Scientists have become ever more accurate in their ability for providing models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
"ability for" is not a preferred idiom; "like" is not a preferred idiom for setting up examples
E. Scientist's ability to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions have become ever more accurate.
Violates subject-verb agreement; "ability have become more accurate" doesn't make sense.
The correct answer is C.
The original sentence stripped down to a simple subject-verb-object relationship would be:
The ability (of scientists)... have become ever more accurate.
We could eliminate this answer choice because the subject "ability" and verb "have" do not agree. We should also note that it doesn't make sense to say that an ability has become accurate. A model can be accurate; an ability cannot.
A. The ability of scientist to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions, have become ever more accurate.
Violates subject-verb agreement; doesn't make sense; "such as" is preferred over "like" when listing examples
B. The ability of scientist has become ever more accurate in providing models of the atmospheres' complex responses to such changing conditions, such as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
This fixes the subject-verb issue, but not the meaning issue. Incorrect.
C. Scientists have become able to provide ever more accurate models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
Here, "scientists" is a more appropriate subject, and "accurate" is correctly modifying "models." Correct.
D. Scientists have become ever more accurate in their ability for providing models of the atmosphere's complex responses to changing conditions, like seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions.
"ability for" is not a preferred idiom; "like" is not a preferred idiom for setting up examples
E. Scientist's ability to provide models of the atmosphere's complex responses to such changing conditions as seasonal and daily cycles or different planetary conjunctions have become ever more accurate.
Violates subject-verb agreement; "ability have become more accurate" doesn't make sense.
The correct answer is C.
Ceilidh Erickson
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
EdM in Mind, Brain, and Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
