1000 SC #881

[sandy88]

883). Under Napoleon the French were not able to organize an adequate supply system, and it was a major cause of the failure of their invasion of Russia.

(A) Under Napoleon the French were not able to organize an adequate supply system, and it

(B) The French being unable to organize an adequate supply system under Napoleon

(C) For the French under Napoleon, to be unable to organize an adequate supply system

(D) The inability of the French under Napoleon to organize an adequate supply system

(E) The French inability under Napoleon of organizing an adequate supply system

[beny]

D correctly unambiguously matches the subject (inability) to the verb (was).

A. "it" is ambiguous; could refer to the inability as well as to "supply system".
B. Passive voice
C. "to be unable to" is awkward and idiomatically incorrect
E. "French" in "French inability" is an ambigous adjective; Idiomatically, it's "inability to" not "inability of"

[givemeanid]

(D) for me as well.

[madhur_ahuja]

Can we reject B here just for being passive. ?

[ketkoag]

Can we reject B here just for being passive. ?

I'm afraid i don't think so as B says that the French was the main cause..but actually it is the ability that was the main cause..
hence eliminate B..
Correct answer is D
E uses inability of organizing....
for ability, desire, inability, .... etc use "to" before the verb in the participle form as in D..