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the more than 500 slaves vs. more than the 500 slaves

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by sparkles3144 » Fri Aug 02, 2013 1:53 pm
In 1791 Robert Carter III, one of the wealthiest plantation owners in Virginia, stunned his family, friends, and neighbors by filing a deed of emancipation, setting free the more than 500 slaves who were legally considered his property.
(A) setting free the more than 500 slaves who were legally considered
(B) setting free more than the 500 slaves legally considered as
(C) and set free more than 500 slaves, who were legally considered as
(D) and set free more than the 500 slaves who were legally considered
(E) and he set free the more than 500 slaves who were legally considered as

I am lost between A and B

the more than 500 slaves vs. more than the 500 slaves
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Source: — Sentence Correction |

by [email protected] » Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:06 pm
Hi sparkles3144,

This SC has a "style" and "intent" issue that you noticed in answers A and B.

The intent of the sentence is the RCIII filed a deed of emancipation and freed all of his slaves. The sentence doesn't tell us exactly how many slaves he had, but clues us in that it was greater than 500. I believe that the "intent" of the sentence is that he surprised his family/friends/etc. by freeing HIS slaves.

Answer A describes his group of slaves: "setting free the more than 500 slaves...."
Answer B describes something else that was freed along with his slaves and that he had 500 slaves exactly: "setting free more than the 500 slaves..."

Between these 2 options, the proper style/intent is in A.

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