Sentence Correction

783. The most favorable locations for the growth of glaciers, rather than being the cold, dry polar regions, would be instead the cool, moist middle latitudes, where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year.
(A) glaciers, rather than being the cold, dry polar regions, would be instead the cool, moist middle latitudes
(B) glaciers are not the cold, dry polar regions but the cool, moist middle latitudes
(C) glaciers are the cool, moist middle latitudes rather than the cold, dry polar regions
(D) glaciers, instead of being the cold, dry polar regions, would be the cool, moist middle latitudes
(E) glaciers are, instead of the cold, dry polar regions, rather the cool, moist middle latitudes



Hi,
The correct answer is B) but why C) is wrong?

First C) violates the idiom form not X but rather Y.

Second the term rather is used to express personal preference. In this sentence you are not stating that glaciers prefer to form in the noted location. That would make no sense as glaciers don't have a preference; they are inanimate.

"where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year" should modify "moist middle latitudes" and NOT "dry ploar regions"

f2001290 wrote:"where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year" should modify "moist middle latitudes" and NOT "dry ploar regions"

Good catch. I missed that post-modifier.

How you come to know that 'where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year' should modify "moist middle latitudes" and NOT "dry ploar regions"

f2001290 wrote:"where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year" should modify "moist middle latitudes" and NOT "dry ploar regions"

reply2spg wrote:How you come to know that 'where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year' should modify "moist middle latitudes" and NOT "dry ploar regions"

f2001290 wrote:"where there is abundant precipitation and where it is cold enough to allow some snow to accumulate year by year" should modify "moist middle latitudes" and NOT "dry ploar regions"

You yourself gave the answer .

How can "dry polar regions" be a place that has "there is abundant precipitation" dose not make sense dose it ?

Rather than being" and "instead of being" are wrongly used here. So, A and D are out. Choice C has the right syntax but putting the dry region at the end does not correspond with the last part (the part that follows dry polar regions" of the sentence which is characteristic of the moist region. Choice E is wrong because "instead" and "rather" should not be used together. Choice (B) has the right syntax and is meaningful. Hence, B is the answer.