Sentence Correction

This topic has expert replies
Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:13 pm
Thanked: 1 times

Sentence Correction

by blanca » Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:59 am
Could someone tell me what is wrong with my choice D

Europeans have long known that eating quail sometimes makes the eater ill, but only recently has it been established that the illness is caused by a toxin present in the quail's body only under certain conditions.
A Europeans have long known that eating quail sometimes makes
B Europeans have long known quail eating is sometimes able to make
C Eating quail has long been known to Europeans to sometimes make
D It has long been known to Europeans that quail eating will sometimes make
E It has long been known to Europeans that quail, when it is eaten, has sometimes made
Source: — Sentence Correction |

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 214
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 6:30 am
Thanked: 15 times

by sujaysolanki » Tue Nov 27, 2007 4:00 am
A Europeans have long known that eating quail sometimes makes
B Europeans have long known quail eating is sometimes able to make -- awkard wordy
C Eating quail has long been known to Europeans to sometimes make -- awkard wordy
D It has long been known to Europeans that quail eating will sometimes make - passive
E It has long been known to Europeans that quail, when it is eaten, has sometimes made –passive

A seems best ..whats the OA

Legendary Member
Posts: 645
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:37 am
Location: India
Thanked: 34 times
Followed by:5 members

by camitava » Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:14 am
Agree with sujaysolanki! Option 4 and 5 are not only having passive actions but also they are un-idiomatic. So A is the best option to chose.
Correct me If I am wrong


Regards,

Amitava

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:13 pm
Thanked: 1 times

by blanca » Tue Nov 27, 2007 9:13 am
OA is A

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Mississippi
Thanked: 21 times
Followed by:3 members

by Danielle » Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:40 pm
Choice D and E are both there to test your knowledge of what the GMAT DOES NOT value in an answer. Both are passive and bury the action of the sentence in a bunch of unnecessary prepositional phrases. You should be able to spot that and discard those choices on that basis. Whenever presented with a concise answer in active voice, that is the better choice, hence A is it.

Also "quail eating" is a bad construction (and kind of funny), necessary because of the awkward use of passive voice. Is there any such thing as "quail eating", per se? No. The test is not going to introduce any new linguistic constructions either, so it's probably wrong. :D
Verbal Tutor

Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:13 pm
Thanked: 1 times

by blanca » Wed Nov 28, 2007 7:32 am
Thank you Danielle for the detailed explanation. Appreciate it.

Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 215
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:59 pm
Location: Mississippi
Thanked: 21 times
Followed by:3 members

by Danielle » Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:26 am
No worries blanca -- glad to be of help!
Verbal Tutor

• Page 1 of 1