Sentence Correction

Biologists working in Spain say that their discovery of teeming life in a highly acidic river may not only broaden the search for life, or for evidence of past life, no other planets but also show that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria.

A. show that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria
B. may show that a number of forms of microscopic life is capable of adapting to conditions that
scientists have long thought hostile to all bacteria but the hardiest ones
C. shows a number of forms of microscopic life to be capable to adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought had been hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria
D. showing that a number of forms of microscopic life is capable of adapting to conditions that
scientists have long thought had been hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria
E. showing that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all bacteria but the hardiest

The OA given is A but i think in A there is a sub-verb agreement error..discovery (sing) should use sing shows in C...is there anything related to the use of MAY in the sentence...please explain????

Well after going to all the options I was thinking OA should be A, yes mismatch between discovery and shows is questionable, but what is the source, it may be the case that not underlined part have error, or may be these ambiguities are permissible. The normal literature do pint to something like..their discoveries...if there are many..in which case show is fine, or their discovery...shows, where many biologists resultig to same discovery.

Though, in C, "capable to adapt to" is a bit too much to consider concise.

i wouldn't even say A is correct. That is not an acceptable agreement error. Its a bad question don't bother too much about it.

Atul, the mood is subjunctive (may).
We use regular form of verb in case of subjunctive sentences.
we say, May God bless you !
and not, May God blesses you !!!

Also, when I was reading the sentence, I checked the non-underline portion.
not only broaden the search for life ....

In this case, it is broaden and not broadens
So we are good with show (and not shows).

as tetura pointed out look at the non underlined portion if confused,
broaden vs show or broaden vs shows
also as this is a not only..but also scenario, u can use the split as follows.

Biologists working in Spain say that their discovery of teeming life in a highly acidic river may broaden the search for life, or for evidence of past life - not only part

Biologists working in Spain say that their discovery of teeming life in a highly acidic river may
show that a number of forms of microscopic life can adapt to conditions that scientists have long thought hostile to all but the hardiest bacteria. - but also part

option B would sound may may show
C-may shows
D- may showing
E-may showing

i thnk A is the better option here.

Yep agreed with tetura , good point noted , A is better option .

@tetura and Rohu

thanks a lot guys for correctly pointing out where m making mistake...ur post rock...thanks a lot