RBBmba@2014 wrote:Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged in 1911, Scott Joplin's ragtime opera Treemonisha was not produced until 1972, sixty-one years after its completion.

(A) Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged

(B) Except for a concert performance with the composer himself staging it

(C) Besides a concert performance being staged by the composer himself

(D) Excepting a concert performance that the composer himself staged

(E) With the exception of a concert performance with the staging done by the composer himself

OA: A

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(A) Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged - This sentences is perfect as it is. Except for is the correct idion, 'that' refers back to the 'concert performance' and himself is in reflexive form correctly referring to the 'composer'

(B) Except for a concert performance with the composer himself staging it - usage of 'with'. Now many times, people get confused with 'WITH' . With is mostly used as a tool (mostly). Here, this sounds like the concert performed some action WITH (using) the composer......meaning gets changed.

(C) Besides a concert performance being staged by the composer himself - 'Besides' suggests another simultaneous action/event happening along with this one stated. But the next event happened after many many years.

(D) Excepting a concert performance that the composer himself staged - Excepting isn't the right usage here. Except will be a better usage.

(E) With the exception of a concert performance with the staging done by the composer himself - notice the wordiness here. With the exception....with the staging - the meaning gets lost in this elaborate sentence.
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RBBmba@2014 wrote:Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged in 1911, Scott Joplin's ragtime opera Treemonisha was not produced until 1972, sixty-one years after its completion.

(A) Except for a concert performance that the composer himself staged

(B) Except for a concert performance with the composer himself staging it

(C) Besides a concert performance being staged by the composer himself

(D) Excepting a concert performance that the composer himself staged

(E) With the exception of a concert performance with the staging done by the composer himself

Generally, a VERBing modifier serves to express CONCURRENT action: an action happening at the same time as the main verb.
Here, the main verb is was not produced.

In B, the usage of staging (VERBing modifier) seems to imply that the composer was STAGING a performance at the same time as the opera WAS NOT PRODUCED.
This sequence is nonsensical.
Eliminate B.

In C, the usage of being staged (VERBing modifier) seems to imply that a performance was BEING STAGED at the same time as the opera WAS NOT PRODUCED.
This sequence is nonsensical.
Eliminate C.

In E, the usage of with the staging done (VERBing modifier) seems to imply that the STAGING was done at the same time as the opera WAS NOT PRODUCED.
This sequence is nonsensical.
Eliminate E.

In D, excepting seems to refer to Scott Joplin's ragtime opera, implying that the OPERA was EXCEPTING a concert performance.
This meaning is nonsensical.
Eliminate D.

The correct answer is A.