BTGmoderatorDC wrote:Over the past ten years cultivated sunflowers have become a major commercial crop, second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil.
A. second only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil
B. second in importance to soybeans only as a source of vegetable oil
C. being second in importance only to soybeans as a source of vegetable oil
D. which, as a source of vegetable oil, is only second to soybeans
E. as a source of vegetable oil only second to soybeans
In B and C,
second in importance is redundant.
X is second to Y means -- all on its own -- that
X is less important than Y.
Eliminate B and C.
Modifiers such as
only and
almost are known as LIMITERS.
A limiter serves to LIMIT the scope of another word in the sentence.
Generally, a limiter should be placed directly before whatever it is intended to limit.
ONLY JOHN plays the tuba.
Here,
only serves to limit WHO PLAYS the tuba.
Conveyed meaning;
NO ONE ELSE -- aside from John -- plays the tuba.
John plays ONLY THE TUBA.
Here,
only serves to limit WHICH INSTRUMENTS John plays.
Conveyed meaning:
John plays NO OTHER INSTRUMENTS -- aside from the tuba.
A:
Sunflowers have become...second ONLY TO SOYBEANS.
Here,
only serves to limit WHICH CROPS are more important than sunflowers.
Conveyed meaning:
NO OTHER CROP -- aside from soybeans -- is more important than sunflowers.
This is the intended meaning of the original sentence.
D and E:
A major commercial crop...ONLY SECOND.
Here,
only serves to limit WHICH RANKING is attributed to the major commercial crop.
Conveyed meaning:
NO OTHER RANKING -- aside from
second -- is attributed to the major commercial crop.
In D and E, the position of
only distorts the intended meaning of the original sentence.
Eliminate D and E.
The correct answer is
A.
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