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Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
beckee529 wrote:
The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.
(A) The stars, some of them at tremendous speeds, are in motion just as the planets are, yet being
(B) Like the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(C) Although like the planets the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, yet
(D) As the planets, the stars are in motion, some of them at tremendous speeds, but they are
(E) The stars are in motion like the planets, some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that - like planets, the stars are in motion, but they are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Verb Forms + Grammatical Construction + Comparison + Parallelism• “like” is used for comparing nouns, “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses, and “such as” is used for giving examples.
• A comparison must always be made between similar elements.
• If a list contains only two elements, they must be joined by a conjunction.
• Semicolons or "comma + conjunction" are used for introducing an independent clause.
• "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
• Statements of universal fact are best conveyed through the simple present tense.
A: This answer choice incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "being" in this sentence) to refer to a statement of universal fact; remember, statements of universal fact are best conveyed through the simple present tense. Further, Option A incorrectly uses the "comma + conjunction ("yet" in this sentence)" construction to join two elements in a list - the verb phrases "are in motion" and "being so far away from the Earth"; please remember, if a list contains only two elements, they must be joined by a conjunction.
B: Correct. This answer choice acts upon the independent noun "the stars" with the active verb phrase "are in motion" to form a complete thought, leading to a complete sentence. Moreover, Option B correctly uses the clause "but they (the stars) are so far away from the Earth...lifetime", conveying the intended meaning - that some of
the stars are in motion at tremendous speeds but are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime. Further, Option B correctly uses the simple present tense verb "are" to refer to a statement of universal fact. Additionally, Option B correctly uses the "comma + conjunction ("but" in this case")" construction to join the independent clauses "the stars are in motion" and "that...are so far away from the Earth...lifetime"; remember, semicolons or "comma + conjunction" are used for introducing an independent clause. Besides, Option B correctly uses "Like" to compare the nouns "the planets" and "the stars".
C: This answer choice fails to form a complete sentence; since "Although like the planets the stars are in motion" is a dependent clause, and "yet so far away from the Earth...lifetime" is a modifying phrase, the sentence lacks an independent subject noun.
D: This answer choice incorrectly uses "As" to compare two nouns; please remember, “like” is used for comparing nouns, and “as” is used for comparing actions/clauses.
E: This answer choice incorrectly refers to "the planets" with the "which" phrase "some of which at tremendous speeds are in motion but...lifetime", incorrectly implying that some of
the planets are in motion at tremendous speeds but are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime; the intended meaning is that some of
the stars are in motion at tremendous speeds but are so far away from the Earth that their apparent positions in the sky do not change enough for their movement to be observed during a single human lifetime; remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma. Further, Option E incorrectly compares the action "are in motion" to the noun "the planets"; remember, a comparison must always be made between similar elements.
Hence, B is the best answer choice.All the best!
Experts' Global Team