Anshul1223333 wrote:
in B] What is wrong in saying 'earth being flat'
In the construction
preposition + NOUN + __ing..., the "__ing..." part is just modifying the NOUN. Therefore, this kind of modifier is incorrect unless the intended significance in context is actually "prep + NOUN".
If, instead, the intention is to refer to the entire action of the NOUN doing the "__ing", a different kind of modifier will be needed instead.
that + [complete sentence is often a workable modifier of this type, but, remember, you should just check out the alternatives in the answer choices.
e.g.,
I've never heard of a person biting a dog —> INCORRECT
(it's not any 'person' that's unfamiliar to me; it's the whole idea that a human would bite a dog)
I've never heard that a person has bitten a dog —> Works.
I've never heard of an instance in which a person has bitten a dog —> Works, because the object of the preposition is now "an instance" which in turn is described by the entire following clause.
Please note that you cannot just automatically reject the original prepositional phrase construction here. If the intended modifier in context is just the prepositional phrase, then that construction can be just fine.
e.g.,
I took some photos of a person loitering near my car. —> Works.
(I really did take photos
of a person.)
In choice B here, "of the earth being flat" is analogous to the first example, "of a person biting a dog". (The old 'conventional wisdom' isn't
of the earth; it was the entire idea that the earth is flat.)
Therefore choice B does not work.