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Beowulf

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Beowulf

by jain2016 » Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:29 am
Though the language of Beowulf is practically incomprehensible to contemporary readers, careful linguistic analysis reveals a multitude of similarities to modern English.

A) Though the language of Beowulf is practically incomprehensible to contemporary readers, careful linguistic analysis reveals a multitude of similarities to modern English

B) Despite that it is practically incomprehensible to contemporary readers, careful linguistic analysis reveals that the language of Beowulf has a multitude of similarities to modern English.

C) Though being practically incomprehensible to contemporary readers, the language of Beowulf reveals through careful linguistic analysis a multitude of similarities to modern English.

D) Though Beowulf has a language that is practically incomprehensible to contemporary readers, a multitude of similarities are revealed to modern English through careful linguistic analysis.

E) Despite having practically incomprehensible language to contemporary readers, Beowulf reveals through careful linguistic analysis a multitude of similarities to modern English.

OAA

Hi Experts ,

Please explain option [spoiler]D & B [/spoiler]
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by stevekeating » Tue Apr 05, 2016 10:47 pm
"Despite that it is..." is incorrect. "Despite" is not followed by a clause. It is followed by a noun, a noun phrase or a gerund. "Despite the fact that...." is a valid construction. A word of contrast that can be followed by a clause is "although". In D the similarities are not revealed to modern English. The similarities to modern English are revealed. In addition, there is no problem with A, the correct option. To move away from A you must have a reason.
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by fabiocafarelli » Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:04 am
1. As Steve says, the first clause in option B is incorrect because of the use of DESPITE, but even if ALTHOUGH (without THAT) had been used, the option would still be wrong because it implies that CAREFUL LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS is what is INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO CONTEMPORARY READERS, and the intended meaning is rather that THE LANGUAGE OF BEOWULF is what is incomprehensible. In other words, the phrase THE LANGUAGE OF BEOWULF should appear after the comma that sets off the introductory clause from the rest of the sentence.

2. Further to what Steve says about option D, the idea that BEOWULF HAS A LANGUAGE is unidiomatic and actually makes no sense. Works of literature do not HAVE languages: they use them, or are written in them, and so on.

3. Option D actually reformulates and worsens the defect in option A. Option A says that though something is almost incomprehensible, something else reveals a number of similarities to modern English. But similarities between what and modern English? The similitude remains unclear, so the sentence is lame. And in option D, we read that though something has a language that is almost incomprehensible, a number of similarities (to modern English) are revealed. But again, exactly what is similar to modern English? Beowulf? But this makes no sense at all.

4. Option A is nevertheless the least bad of the five.

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