In all, the new algorithm sorts through thousands of bits of information about a person and their online behavior: what sites a person visits; what types of language, positive or negative, a person uses to describe certain technologies; the skills that are listed on a person's resume; and the school a person attended and in what major, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
A) the skills that are listed on a person's resume; and the school a person attended and in what major, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
B) the skills that are listed on a person's resume; the school a person attended; and the major of that person, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
C) what skills are listed on a person's resume; what school a person attended; and what major, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
D) what skills are listed on a person's resume; and what school a person attended, as well as the major and ranking of that school in U.S. News and World Report.
E) what skills are listed on a person's resume; and what school a person attended and in what major, as well as the ranking of that school in U.S. News and World Report.
[spoiler]Solution: E
Explanation: This long sentence contains a structure that many students are unfamiliar with: multiple semicolons in one sentence. Semicolons are used this way to link together several complex elements in a series when commas would be too confusing. The key on this problem is to make sure that all components are parallel and contain uniform structures. Since the first two parts of the series begin with "what....", the remaining portions must use a comparable structure. (A) and (B) are wrong because they lack this essential structure in the remaining parts of the series. In (C), the last portion, "what major.....," cannot be disconnected from the discussion of the school and must have some verb with it. In (D) you cannot have the "major...of a school." Only (E) contains parallel structures and gets the last portion correct: "what school a person attended and in what major (he attended is understood), as well as the ranking of that school." (E) is correct.[/spoiler]
A) the skills that are listed on a person's resume; and the school a person attended and in what major, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
B) the skills that are listed on a person's resume; the school a person attended; and the major of that person, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
C) what skills are listed on a person's resume; what school a person attended; and what major, as well as that school's ranking in U.S. News and World Report.
D) what skills are listed on a person's resume; and what school a person attended, as well as the major and ranking of that school in U.S. News and World Report.
E) what skills are listed on a person's resume; and what school a person attended and in what major, as well as the ranking of that school in U.S. News and World Report.
[spoiler]Solution: E
Explanation: This long sentence contains a structure that many students are unfamiliar with: multiple semicolons in one sentence. Semicolons are used this way to link together several complex elements in a series when commas would be too confusing. The key on this problem is to make sure that all components are parallel and contain uniform structures. Since the first two parts of the series begin with "what....", the remaining portions must use a comparable structure. (A) and (B) are wrong because they lack this essential structure in the remaining parts of the series. In (C), the last portion, "what major.....," cannot be disconnected from the discussion of the school and must have some verb with it. In (D) you cannot have the "major...of a school." Only (E) contains parallel structures and gets the last portion correct: "what school a person attended and in what major (he attended is understood), as well as the ranking of that school." (E) is correct.[/spoiler]
