Sentence Correction

In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that ARE the organism's attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant

What ARE the organism's attempt? "the production" or "enzymes"? If I am correct, "production" is a singular noun which does not agree with the plural verb "are", whereas the sentence "Enzymes ARE the organism's attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant" does not make sense to me. How can "enzymes" be an "attempt". Could someone help? Thanks a lot!

sinmk2 wrote:In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that ARE the organism's attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant

What ARE the organism's attempt? "the production" or "enzymes"? If I am correct, "production" is a singular noun which does not agree with the plural verb "are", whereas the sentence "Enzymes ARE the organism's attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant" does not make sense to me. How can "enzymes" be an "attempt". Could someone help? Thanks a lot!

I completely agree with you, I think verb "are" is incorrect over here. IMO subject is "production of enzymes" which makes an "attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant". Can you tell what is source of the paragraph?

hemant_rajput wrote:

sinmk2 wrote:In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that ARE the organism's attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant

What ARE the organism's attempt? "the production" or "enzymes"? If I am correct, "production" is a singular noun which does not agree with the plural verb "are", whereas the sentence "Enzymes ARE the organism's attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant" does not make sense to me. How can "enzymes" be an "attempt". Could someone help? Thanks a lot!

I completely agree with you, I think verb "are" is incorrect over here. IMO subject is "production of enzymes" which makes an "attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant". Can you tell what is source of the paragraph?

Hi hemant_rajput, actually this problem comes from the Official Guide For GMAT Review 12th edition.

This is a kind of construct that seems to be acceptable on GMAT...from a "sense" perspective. Another question from Verbal Review:

Twenty-two feet long and 10 feet in diameter, the AM-1 is one of the many new satellites that are part of a 15-year effort to subject the interactions of Earth's atmosphere, ocean, and land surfaces to detailed scrutiny from space.

In this, satellites (and not "production" of satellites or something along similar lines) are part of effort, the way enzymes are organism's attempt in the sentence under consideration.