MGMAT Question

[tarungupta]

Disease, pollution, and overfishing have devastated the bountiful oyster harvests that once sustained the residents of the Chesapeake Bay area.


1. of the Chesapeake Bay area


2. in and around the Chesapeake Bay


3. of the Chesapeake Bay

4. around the vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay

5. living in and around the Chesapeake Bay area

[GmatKiss]

Disease, pollution, and overfishing have devastated the bountiful oyster harvests that once sustained the residents of the Chesapeake Bay area.


1. of the Chesapeake Bay area

2. in and around the Chesapeake Bay

3. of the Chesapeake Bay

4. around the vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay

5. living in and around the Chesapeake Bay area WORDY

IMO:A

[tarungupta]

Answer is A

Can you explain the reasoning behind eliminating the other options

[transfer9858]

I don't think this question really has to do with grammar rules but more meaning. 4 and 5 should be eliminated right away because there both redundant- "the residents of" means they live there... I don't think this is a fair question because if your not a native speaker I don't understand how you would know which one is correct... 2 is wordy and also superfluous but 1 and 3, technically you can't be a resident of a bay- literally that means your living in the water. That would be the only way to get the answer down to A. But I don't think they would put a question like this on the official exam. Everything has to make sense literally- so try and look out for clues in that sense.