Sentence Correction

Despite its brief existence between March 18 and May 28, 1871, the Paris Commune seems as embodying the vision of a socialist democracy that protects the rights of citizens and workers, but the leaders' failure to consolidate an effective defense against the vengeful onslaught from Versailles suggests that anarchist tendencies contributed to its downfall.

A. seems as embodying the vision of a socialist democracy that protects the rights of citizens and workers
B. seemed to embody the vision of a socialist democracy that protects the rights of workers and citizens
C. seems to have embodied the vision of a socialist democracy that protects the rights of citizens and workers
D. seemed as embodying the vision of a socialist democracy that protects workers' and citizens' rights
E. seemed to have embodied the vision of a socialist democracy that protects the rights of citizens and workers

Answer choice A is grammatically incorrect, illogical and stylistically flawed. Although this sentence is anchored in the present tense, it makes illogical use of the present tense (seems) to describe the author's current perception of a past historical event (the rise and fall of the Paris Commune in 1871). The phrase the Paris Commune seems as embodying illogically indicates that the Paris Commune still exists.

In addition, the use of seems as is non-idiomatic and incorrect.

Answer choice B corrects the stylistic flaw mistake in the original question by changing seems as to seemed to: seem to is more idiomatic than seem as.

The corrected sentence also appears to correct the original grammatical and logical mistake. The use of the past tense seemed appears to correctly reflect the fact that the Paris Commune no longer exists. However, the use of the Past tense also creates a new logical mistake.

Answer choice C is the BEST since it corrects the logical mistake and the stylistic flaw in the original question, by changing the phrase seems as embodying to seems to have embodied.

The corrected sentence accomplishes three things:

1. Seem to is more idiomatic than seem as.

2. The use of the present tense in the verb seems (and in the corresponding verb suggests) correctly anchors the sentence in the present, indicating that the sentence's author is speaking in the present and expressing a view about a past event (The rise and fall of the Paris Commune).

3. The use of the to V form in the Perfect tense (to have embodied) correctly reflects the fact that the Paris Commune no longer exists.

Answer D is incorrect because it suggests that during its existence the Paris Commune SEEMED AS embodying (...). The form "seemed" does not agree with the form "suggests", which appears later in the sentence. Also "seemed AS" is incorrect, as it was pointed out above.

Answer E is also incorrect, because there is the incorrect past form "SEEMED."