brothers wrote:
Many environmentalists believe that the widespread planting of trees, along with the conservation of existing forests, would be
one of the surest, easiest, and least expensive ways to begin to halt or even to reverse the buildup of carbon dioxide in the air.
(A) one of the surest, easiest, and least expensive ways to begin to halt or even to reverse
(B) one of the most sure, easy, and least expensive ways to begin a halt or even reverse
(C) one of the surest, easiest, and least expensive ways that would begin halting or even reversing
(D) a most sure, easy, and inexpensive way beginning the halting and even reversing of
(E) the most sure, easiest, and inexpensive way that would begin halting or even reversing
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/18/science/to-halt-climate-change-scientists-try-trees.htmlSCIENTISTS, foresters, environmentalists and Government officials are seriously exploring the feasibility of an ambitious long-term enterprise: planting enough trees around the world to ease the threat of global warming.
The goal is unlikely to be realized dramatically or quickly, if ever, but rather in increments, tree by tree, plot by plot, field by field. Nevertheless, fundamental facts of nature have convinced a number of experts that widespread planting of trees, along with conservation of existing forests, is
one of the surest, easiest and least expensive ways to begin to halt or even reverse the buildup of carbon dioxide in the air.
The basic structure of the sentence is something like this:
Es believe that P would be one of the best ways to begin to halt or reverse C.There are 3 modifiers for 'ways' - surest, easiest, and least expensive ways
It's best to put them in parallel form where possible.
Since 'sure' and 'easy' have a superlative form, we should use those - 'surest' and 'easiest'
Not that 'most sure' or 'most easy' would be wrong but we use 'most' when we do not have the superlative form such as 'most beautiful.'
Also, 'halt' and 'reversal' are in parallel. So we can use 'to halt' and 'to reverse' OR 'halting' and 'reversing' OR 'a halt' and 'a reversal'
(infinitive, gerund or noun form)
(B) one of the most sure, easy, and least expensive ways to begin a halt or even reverse'one of the most sure, easy, and least expensive ways' is incorrect.
Is 'most' common to all 3 modifiers? Cannot be because 'most least expensive' doesn't make sense.
Then the 3 modifiers are 'most sure,' 'easy,' and 'least expensive'. But 'easy' is not in the superlative form.
Also, 'a halt' (noun form) and 'reverse' (verb form) is not correct. We should use 'a reversal' in this case.
(C) one of the surest, easiest, and least expensive ways that would begin halting or even reversingWhen we use 'that would begin halting ...' we are saying that this is what the way would do. The 'that clause' modifies 'the way.' But what we actually want to do is tell the purpose of the 'way.'
Consider these two examples:
...this is the best way to begin the project... (the purpose of the way is to begin the project and in that respect, it is the best way)
...this is the best way that would begin the project... (the sentence tells us that this is the best way. This way would begin the project. Are we looking for a way to begin the project - not known. What is this the best way for? Not known. It is not clear that the purpose of the 'way' is to begin the project)
Hence, option (A) is better than option (C).
(D) a most sure, easy, and inexpensive way beginning the halting and even reversing of
This is the structure of (D)
Many Es believe that P would be a most sure ... way beginning the halting and reversing of ...
The use of 'beginning' is incorrect. It uses present participle to modify 'way.' But we do not want to modify 'way.' We need to show the intent, the purpose of the 'way.'
We need to say 'a way to begin the halting ... ' to show the purpose.
(E) the most sure, easiest, and inexpensive way that would begin halting or even reversing
Here, 'easiest' does not need 'the most' but 'inexpensive' does. Hence the elements are not parallel. Also, 'that would begin' is not appropriate. We need 'to begin.'
Option (A) is the best in all these aspects.
Answer (A)
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