Sentence Correction

For many revisionist historians, Christopher Columbus has come to personify devastation and enslavement in the name of progress that has decimated native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.

A. devastation and enslavement in the name of progress that has decimated native peoples of the Western Hemisphere
B. devastation and enslavement in the name of progress by which native peoples of the Western Hemisphere decimated
C. devastating and enslaving in the name of progress those native peoples of the Western Hemisphere which in the name of progress are decimated.
D. devastating and enslaving those native peoples of the western Hemisphere which in the name of progress are decimated.
E. the devastation and enslavement in the name of progress that have decimated the native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.

OA: E

Competition is between Option A and Option E.
Finally E is the credited answer.

How come the SV agrees in Option E,which is the correct answer.

A and B seem to imply that progress has decimated the native peoples of the Western Hemisphere. this does not make any logical sense.

B states - "native peoples of the Western decimated" - decimated what? Also, the intended meaning is that native peoples were decimated by Columbus' actions. Usage of active voice here distorts the meaning.

C - Usage of 'those' seems to imply that we are referring to a specific group of native peoples. Also, the usage of 'which' is incorrect. It refers to Western Hemisphere. 'which' should also be separated by commas, since it is used as a non-essential modifier.

this question also has a split between 'devastation and enslavement' and 'devastating and enslaving'. GMAT prefers the action noun to the verb-ing form.

D - usage of 'those' is incorrect. 'which' incorrectly refers to 'western hemisphere'.

E - correct answer. Note that the 'that' can skip over a prepositional phrase to refer to 'devastation and enslavement'.

richachampion wrote:OA: E

Competition is between Option A and Option E.
Finally E is the credited answer.

How come the SV agrees in Option E,which is the correct answer.

The main verb of a relative clause will dictate whether the subject of that clause (often "that" or which") refers to a singular or plural referent.

In A we have devastation and enslavement in the name of progress that has decimated native peoples of the Western Hemisphere
"Has" is a singular verb, meaning "that" should have a singular referent. The closest singular referent here is "progress." The literal meaning of the clause: "progress has decimated native peoples..." This doesn't seem terribly logical

In E we have the devastation and enslavement in the name of progress that have decimated the native peoples of the Western Hemisphere.. "Have" is a plural verb, meaning "that" has a plural referent. The closest plural referent is the compound noun "devastation and enslavement." The literal meaning "Devastation and enslavement have decimated the native peoples..." Clearly, more logical than A.