SC #3 & #42 O.G.

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SC #3 & #42 O.G.

by lavinia » Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:02 pm
#3. Although various eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American poets had professed an interest in Native American poetry and had pretended to imitate Native American forms in their own works, until almost 1900, scholars and critics did not begin seriously to studytraditional Native American poetry in native languages.

Correct answer: it was not until almost 1900 that scholars and critics seriously began studying.

My question is- what does it refer to? Is "until almost" expression correct?

#42. Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

The orginal text has the correct answer. How the present participle extending parallels the past participle spawned? I know that both are action verbs, but I don't understand the relationship. In my opinion it should be "it has been extending" (started in the past and continues in the present). What about extends?

Thank you.
Source: — Sentence Correction |

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by uwhusky » Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:10 pm
Please post one question per post to avoid confusion.

For your first question, "it" is a placeholder for "that scholars and critics seriously began studying."

In another words, the sentence could be constructed to say:

"That scholars and critics seriously began studying was not until almost 1900."

More information can be found in the advance section of MGMAT SC.
Yep.

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by uwhusky » Wed Oct 06, 2010 6:13 pm
For your second question, I believe the sentence can be constructed this way:

"...an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest."

"extending..." becomes a participle phrase modifying "rootlike tentacles" and indicates an on-going action.

"spawned..." is the other part of the parallel participle phrase.
Yep.

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