Hello Everyone!
Let's tackle this question, one issue at a time, and narrow it down to the correct choice quickly! To begin, let's scan over the options and highlight any major differences we can find in orange:
Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins.
A. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins
B. fiber in addition to vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses
C. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins
D. fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins creates the energy we need to fight illnesses
E. fiber, as vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses
After a quick scan over the options, there are 2 main areas we can focus on:
1. create vs. creates (Subject-Verb Agreement)
2. How to add in a modifier/details about vegetables and lean proteins (Modifiers/Meaning/Punctuation)
Let's start with #1 on our list: Subject-Verb Agreement. This will eliminate 2-3 options rather quickly, so it's a good idea to start there. To figure out if we need a singular or plural verb, let's first find the subject that goes with "create/creates":
Ramón pointed out that food high in whole-grain fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins.
We know that the subject "food" is singular, so we need to use a singular verb to go with it - no matter what other stuff is jammed between the subject and verb! Let's see how each example handles this:
A. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins
B. fiber in addition to vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses
C. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins
D. fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins creates the energy we need to fight illnesses
E. fiber, as vegetables and lean proteins, create the energy we need to fight illnesses
We can eliminate options B & E because they use the plural verb "create" with the singular subject "food," which doesn't agree.
Now that we have it narrowed down a little, let's tackle #2 on our list: how to handle the vegetables and lean proteins. We need to make sure that the meaning is clear, concise, and logical. Let's see how each option handles this:
A. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses—as do vegetables and lean proteins
This is [color=greenCORRECT[/color]! It's clear that the phrase "as do" is a shortcut to say that vegetables and lean proteins ALSO create energy to fight illnesses without having to repeat that entire phrase a second time.
C. fiber creates the energy we need to fight illnesses, along with vegetables and lean proteins
This is INCORRECT because it changes the meaning to something kind of silly! This sentence says that foods high in fiber create energy to fight illnesses, vegetables, and proteins! High-fiber foods are only supposed to fight illnesses - not fight other foods.
D. fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins creates the energy we need to fight illnesses
This is also INCORRECT because it changes the intended meaning. This sentence is telling us that only foods that have all 3 qualities at the same time - fiber, vegetables, and lean protein - can create energy to fight off illnesses. It SHOULD say that each of these 3 distinct food groups - fiber, vegetables, and lean proteins - fight off illnesses.
There you have it - option A was the correct choice! It's the only one that uses the right subject-verb agreement, and the meaning is clear and logical. By starting with a simple "either/or" grammar issue, you can easily rule out wrong choices and then dive into the more complex issues.
Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it.
