A new study suggests that different species of mice have different bur

Hi everyone,

First of all, thank you all very much for your responses. It's really good to see such nice and analytical responses. This definitely helps to learn in a much more effective manner. SO here comes the official explanation for this one.

A new study suggests that different species of mice have different burrow design: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.



• This sentence presents facts.
• Different species of mice build burrows of different designs.
• Even a mouse raised in lab can make a burrow specific to its species.
• Burrow making is genetic as genes carry DNA combinations of burrow making in every species.



Error Analysis

• Clause 1: A new study suggests
• Clause 2: that different species of mice have different burrow design:
• Clause 3: a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA combinations of burrow creation in genome.

1. Use of “due to” is incorrect in this sentence because it has been used to modify the verb in this sentence, more specifically to present the reason for the verb – how can a lab-raised mouse build species-specific burrow. “Due to” can only be used to explain the noun and not a verb.

2. The comma + verb-ing modifier “carrying” modifies the preceding clause. This modification does not make much sense as it seems to suggest that mice carry various DNA combinations. Logically, it is the genes in the mice that carry DNA combinations. Hence, we need a modifier that refers to “genes”.

PoE

A. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow due to its genes, carrying various DNA: Incorrect for the reasons stated above.

B. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrow because of its genes that carry various DNA: Correct Answer. It corrects both errors of choice A and does not introduce any other errors.

C. a mouse raised in the lab builds species-specific burrow so that its genes carry various DNA: Incorrect.

Error 1 – Use of simple presents “builds” is incorrect because the original sentence presents the ability of the lab raised mouse to build species-specific burrow by saying “can build”. This choice suggests that it is a general fact that lab- raised mice make species-specific burrow.
Error 2 – Use of “so that” is incorrect. This phrase is used to present the result of the preceding clause. This usage distorts the intended meaning.

D. a mouse in the lab can build species-specific burrow as its genes can carry various DNA: Incorrect.

Error 1 – “A mouse in the lab” does not mean the same as “a lab-raised mouse”. A mouse in the lab can be just any mouse there and not necessarily the mouse that has been raised there.
Error 2 – Per the original sentence, it is a general fact that “genes” carry various DNA combinations. Per this choice, “can carry” suggests the ability of genes to carry various DNA combinations. This is not the intended meaning.

E. a lab-raised mouse too can build species-specific burrows because of their genes carrying various DNA: Incorrect. Pronoun “their” should logically refer to “mouse”. But grammatically, plural pronoun “their” does not agree in number with the singular noun “mouse”.



1. “Due to” cannot be used to present reason for the verb. It can only describe noun entities. “Because of” is the correct expression to do so.
2. We must use the correct Modifier must be used correctly to modify the entity it is supposed to modify.
3. “Can verb” presents the ability, while simple presents tense presents general truth.
4. We must use correct expressions to communicate the intended meaning. For example, lab-raised mouse is not the same as mouse in the lab.

Thanks.
Shraddha