This is really tough. I choose B finally as I cudn't find any grammatical error with this option. OA - D looked equally good after I had chosen my answer. I can definitely say that it is something to do with the "MEANING" and not only grammar.

some expert or member can elaborate that better !!

sumanr84 wrote:This is really tough. I choose B finally as I cudn't find any grammatical error with this option. OA - D looked equally good after I had chosen my answer. I can definitely say that it is something to do with the "MEANING" and not only grammar.

some expert or member can elaborate that better !!

I think you are correct..

Option B makes the sentence sound as if Saturn's main rings are composed of thousands of separate icy ringlets only when viewed up close. If we view them from a distance, they are composed of something else..

This is not the intended meaning. No matter at what distance you are standing, Saturn's main rings are composed of same materials.

I an addition to the meaning, I want to add one more point here:

Option B says,

Though Saturn's main rings may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance, they are in fact composed of thousands of separate icy ringlets when viewed up close.

So far I have not seen any sentence, which has a main clause starting with "though".

The sentence could have been partially right if it was:
Though they may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance, Saturn's main rings are in fact composed of thousands of separate icy ringlets when viewed up close.

I am not 100% sure though..

So far I have not seen any sentence, which has a main clause starting with "though".

Though is a subordinate conjunction, just like Although.

"Though Saturn's main rings may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance" - This is a Subordinate clause, not the Main clause.

The problem with option B is "when viewed up close" at the end of the sentence. This changes the meaning of the original sentence(refer my previous post).

One way to fix the problem in B is..

Though Saturn's main rings may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance, closer viewing reveals that they are in fact composed of thousands of separate icy ringlets.

Hope that helps..

hardik.jadeja wrote:

So far I have not seen any sentence, which has a main clause starting with "though".

Though is a subordinate conjunction, just like Although.

"Though Saturn's main rings may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance" - This is a Subordinate clause, not the Main clause.

I understood the meaning problem here. But, what I have mentioned about "though" is that it is used wrongly with a clause that had to be main instead of subordinate.

A) Though Saturn's main rings may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance, they are in fact composed of thousands of separate icy ringlets when viewed up close.

B) Though they may appear smooth and continuous when viewed from a distance, Saturn's main rings are in fact composed of thousands of separate icy ringlets when viewed up close. "

So basically you are trying to say -

1) In A, main clause is "Though Saturn's main rings...a distance", then what do you think about the next clause "they are in fact...up close"? what kind of clause is that?

2) In B, "Though Saturn's main rings...a distance" is Subordinate clause and "they are in fact...up close" is a main clause.

Here's that I think,

In A, I think "they are in fact...up close" is an independent clause as it represents a complete thought and that is why it is a main clause.

The only difference I see in the above two sentences is that you have interchanged the placements of Saturn's main rings and they. I don't think interchanging the placements of Saturn's main rings and they converts a Main clause into a Subordinate clause and vice-versa.

I think you feel that "Though Saturn's main rings...a distance" is a main clause just because it uses Saturn's main rings(not they), a proper subject instead of a relative pronoun in place of a subject.

That's not how you identify dependent clauses(subordinate clause) and independent clauses(main clause). Refer the following URL to understand Subordinate clauses in detail: https://www.chompchomp.com/terms/subordinateclause.htm

Unless Christine finishes her calculus homework, she will have to suffer Mr. Nguyen's wrath in class tomorrow.

In the above sentence "Unless Christine finishes her calculus homework" is a subordinate clause even though it has a proper subject Christine(not a relative pronoun), and "she will have to suffer Mr. Nguyen's wrath in class tomorrow" is a main clause even though it is using a relative pronoun as a subject.

Hope that helps..

Oops.. I wrote the B sentence wrong. I wanted to write though to the next clause.

Anyways thanks for taking time to explain.