The subject is Earth and the other solid planets, so the action "spins" should be the plural version, spin. Think, he spins v they spin.

Simple past is needed so "was" is correct.

The idiom is "determined by", not "from" or "as a result of."

Thus, D is the correct answer. Could you please confirm this?

Hope that helps.

Thanks,

Jared

Reva wrote:The direction in which the Earth and the other solid planets-Mercury, Venus,
and Mars-spins were determined from collisions with giant celestial bodies in
the early history of the solar system.

(A) spins were determined from
(B) spins were determined because of
(C) spins was determined through
(D) spin was determined by
(E) spin was determined as a result of


can anyone please explain the answer

Thanks.

1. The Direction - Singular
2. Earth and other planets - Plural ( additional learning : "and" is the only word that can create a complex plural subject)

Now just try and relate the verbs to 1. and 2.

Earth and other planets - SPIN (plural) or SPINS (singular) --- correct answer = Spin
The Direction --- WERE (plural) or WAS (singular) ---correct answer = was

E is wordy.

Answer: D

Go clause wise...
we have a new clause starting at in which...so identify the subject of this clause...
The subject is the Earth and the other solid planets... And when joins a singular to a plural subject, we have a plural subject...So, we require spin and not spins...Eliminate A, B, C...
Now that clause ends and the new clause starts....The subject of the previous clause is The direction, which is singular..
Hence was is required not were...
That again gets rid of A, B, C...
Correct idiom is determined by and not determined as a result of....

The direction in which the Earth and the other solid planets-Mercury, Venus, and Mars-spins were determined from collisions with giant celestial bodies in the early history of the solar system.

Lets see
what is singular in this sentence?
"The Direction" requires singular verb etc

What is plural?

"Earth an other solid planets" requires plural verb etc


Now lets check the choices:

(A) spins were determined from [ "The direction" requires was]
(B) spins were determined because of [ "The direction" requires was]
(C) spins was determined through ["Earth an other solid planets" require spin]
(D) spin was determined by [correct]
(E) spin was determined as a result of [unidiomatic]

HI ,
I still have doubt here with the answer 'D'


The direction in which the Earth and the other solid planets-Mercury, Venus,
and Mars-spin was determined by collisions with giant celestial bodies in
the early history of the solar system.

' spin was determined by' seems to be as if ' we are creating collisions with giant celestial bodies " to get the spin direction.
I guess it should have been 'spin determined from'.

Please correct me if i am wrong.

Thanks,

The direction in which the Earth and the other solid planets-Mercury, Venus, and Mars-spins were determined from collisions with giant celestial bodies in the early history of the solar system.

(A) spins were determined from
Direction is singular...were is plural �

(B) spins were determined because of
Direction is singular...were is plural �

(C) spins was determined through
Through collisions does not make sense...

(D) spin was determined by

(E) spin was determined as a result of

Between D and E...I am a little confused..it looks like to me that E distorts the meaning... By in "D" means caused by and that is what I think it should be....

Can somebody tell me the official answer and the official explanation...!!!

Thanks..