eitijan wrote:Why 'they' is wrong in original sentence?

The subject of the first clause is The coyote, which is singular.

The other species listed at the beginning of the second clause are part of a modifier, and so rather than referring to the listed animals or to species, they is meant to refer to The coyote. So they, which is plural, is incorrect, and the correct pronoun to use is the singular it.

This sentence version contains a typical GMAT trick of a type that you need to look out for. Verbiage is inserted between two related words, such as a subject and verb or a pronoun and its antecedent, and that verbiage obscures the relationship between the two words and often somehow makes the wrong choice seem right, as is the case in this question.

Often, you can make which choice is correct more clear by considering how the sentence would look without the inserted verbiage. In this case you would have the following.

The coyote is one of several recent ecological success stories; it has established itself ...

Hi All ,

Please explain me the reason to eliminate option C.

Thanks,

SJ

jain2016 wrote:Please explain me the reason to eliminate option C.

For one thing, the use in C of to be able to is wordy and awkward.

In addition the meaning conveyed by E is clearer.

In E, the animals have the the ability to adjust and that ability has created a new class. That construction is efficient and effective.

In C, to be able to adjust seems similar to the ability to adjust but notice that to be able to is something one does while an ability is something one has. So C is saying "To be a certain way has created a new class." Contrast that with what E says, "A trait has created a new class."

For additional clarity, here they are broken out of the sentence. Mixed into the sentence, C maybe sounds OK. When it is isolated, the fact that it doesn't work becomes more apparent.

C - To be able to adjust has created a new class of mammals.

E - The ability to adjust has created a new class of mammals.