Sentence Correction

Hi All,

Please read this before posting your reply.

Source of this question is OG-12. This question might have been discussed in BTG already. The very reason I am posting again is to approach SC in a structured way. Hence, I request everyone to post their comments in the following manner.

IMO: A/B/C/D/E

Approach/Steps used for choosing the right answer.

For other options, List the errors associated in the following style:
Option: A/B/C/D/E
Subject-Verb Agreement : NA
Parallelism: NA
Pronouns: NA
Modifiers: NA
Verb Tense:NA
Voice and Mood:NA
Comparisons:NA
Idioms:NA
Meaning/Conciseness:NA
Others:NA

This definitely takes a bit more time and effort. But it will help a lot of students to master OG questions/strategies. We need to know the best approach to solve these. It is equally important to know why the wrong answers are wrong. Explanation for each option will detail that out. Plan is to compile all these threads to a single place for future reference. Hope everyone agrees with me!!

Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes form a random pattern.
(A) Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes
(B) Whereas the tiny tubes for the conveying of nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in mammals in parallel lines, birds have tubes that
(C) Unlike mammals, where the tiny tubes for conveying nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, birds' tubes
(D) Unlike mammals, in whom the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, the tubes in birds
(E) Unlike the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells, which in mammals are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes

OA A

Expecting active participation and do Let me know your thoughts!!

Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes form a random pattern.
(A) Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes
(B) Whereas the tiny tubes for the conveying of nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in mammals in parallel lines, birds have tubes that
(C) Unlike mammals, where the tiny tubes for conveying nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, birds’ tubes
(D) Unlike mammals, in whom the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, the tubes in birds
(E) Unlike the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells, which in mammals are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes


We need to compare birds with mammals... so based on that B and E and D are out.
c is wrong, because where is incorrectly modifying mammals...It should be in mammals. Where is used for place and when is used for time.

A--> cream of the crap..Looks like the best answer......in mammals is || to in birds

Indeed, every option but A makes a comparison error. C also makes the error you mentioned, Neera.

Did you mean to say "cream of the CRAP" or was that a typo? lol.

OA is A.

The original sentence looks perfect. It maintains parallelism.

Let us look at the options in Detail:

Option A:
"whereas" indicates a contrast between two events that need to be parallel.
in A, "whereas" is followed by a clause beginning with the prepositional phrase "in mammals".
This indicates that the clause in the scond part also needs to start with a prepositional phrase similar to it.
Here "in birds" completes that requirement.
Correctly compares "tubes in mammals" to "tubes in birds"

Option B:
Violates Parallelism. "tiny tubes" is being compared to "mammmals"

Option C:
Compares "mammals" to "bird's tubes"
This is clearly evident when the relative caluse is removed.
Unlike mammals, where the tiny tubes for conveying nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, birds' tubes .........
Unlike mammals, birds' tubes .........

Option D:
Violates Parallelism.
Compares "mammals" to "tubes in birds". Using same technique as above, we can justify this.
Unlike mammals, in whom the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, the tubes in birds....
Unlike mammals, the tubes in birds....

Option E:
Violates Parallelism.
Makes the sentence Awkward and Wordy.
Unlike the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells, which in mammals are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes ....
If we get rid of relative clause,
Unlike the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells, in birds the tubes ...
Looks awkward.

Hope this helps!!

(A) Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes

Was wondering where is the main clause here, first one starts with conjunction and the second with a preposition.

vjcongmt wrote:

(A) Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes

Was wondering where is the main clause here, first one starts with conjunction and the second with a preposition.

In birds THE TUBES FORM a random pattern. Here subject is THE TUBES and FORM verb.

Start of a sentence with a preposition does not make or break about an main clause. Presence of a subject and verb makes a clause.

Take another example, "In 2011 vjcongmt topped in college"

patanjali.purpose wrote:

vjcongmt wrote:

(A) Whereas in mammals the tiny tubes that convey nutrients to bone cells are arrayed in parallel lines, in birds the tubes

Was wondering where is the main clause here, first one starts with conjunction and the second with a preposition.

In birds THE TUBES FORM a random pattern. Here subject is THE TUBES and FORM verb.

Start of a sentence with a preposition does not make or break about an main clause. Presence of a subject and verb makes a clause.

Take another example, "In 2011 vjcongmt topped in college"

Thanks Patanjali,

Got it, it makes more sense if we rearrange the sentence a little bit..

"in birds the tubes" to "the tubes in birds"....