help

[sana.noor]

Between 1990 and 2000, the annual precipitation in Henan, one of the main agricultural provinces in central China, has fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches per year, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the rapid economic growth of the province could be sustained in the future.

a-has fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches per year, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the

b-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches per year, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the

c-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether its

d-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the

e-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether the

OA is E as per my learning whether/or must be used. why D is wrong?

[Java_85]

IMO E is the right answer. Between D and E I chose E because:
or not after whether is often redundant, but not always. I think "weather or not" is used when we are speaking about both + and - side of clause. Here it's just emphasizing the + part "could sustain?" and passage does not discuss the - part, i.e. "could not sustain?" , therefore E.

It's how I think about it, maybe I'm wrong.

[vinay1983]

Between 1990 and 2000, the annual precipitation in Henan, one of the main agricultural provinces in central China, has fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches per year, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the rapid economic growth of the province could be sustained in the future.

a-has fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches per year, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the

b-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches per year, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the

c-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether its

d-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether or not the

e-fluctuated from 250 to 470 inches, causing substantial variation in the productivity of local crops and making it difficult to predict whether the

OA is E as per my learning whether/or must be used. why D is wrong?

As far as I have been taught in my coaching institute, usage of "whether or not " is not usually correct, it is used in extreme cases. So i would not chose A, B and D.Also Option B has this "per year" that is wrong.

So it's between E and C

In option C "its" is incorrect usage, since it does not refer to any antecedent and the sentence becomes odd to understand.

@sana.noor: From where are you getting these questions?

[vishnum]

Hi,

E is correct answer.

A & B are ruled out because of wrong use of Present perfect tense.

C is ruled out as "its" is wrongly used and doesn't make sense.

D is ruled out as whether or not is redundant and whether suffice the purpose.

Br,
Vishnu.