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Joined: 26 Oct 2016
Posts: 510
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Location: United States
Concentration: Marketing, International Business
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WE:Education (Education)
Re: Hoping to alleviate some of the financial burdens of a growing populat
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15 Sep 2017, 06:42
The modifying phrase “hoping to alleviate some of the financial burdens…” begins this sentence and
should be followed immediately by the noun the modifier refers to, “the county government.”
However, the original sentence illogically suggests that “property taxes” were hoping to alleviate the
financial burdens. Additionally, the phrase “raised by an eleven percent increase” contains a
redundancy; either “raised by eleven percent” or “increased by eleven percent” would be more concise
and correct. Finally, the passive construction “property taxes…were raised…by the county government”
is wordier than the preferred active construction “the county government…raised…property taxes.”
(A) This choice is incorrect as it repeats the original sentence.
(B) The modifying phrase “hoping to alleviate…” should be followed immediately by the noun the
modifier refers to, “the county government.” However, this choice illogically suggests that “property
taxes” were hoping to alleviate the financial burdens. Also, the passive construction “property
taxes…were raised…by the county government” is wordier than the preferred active construction “the
county government…raised…property taxes.”
(C) The phrase “raised…by an eleven percent increase” contains a redundancy; either “raised by
eleven percent” or “increased by eleven percent” would be more concise and correct.
(D) The phrase “last year raised by eleven percent property taxes” is awkward, since “property taxes,”
the object, do not immediately follow the verb “raised.” The meaning would be clearer if it were
phrased “raised property taxes by eleven percent last year.”
(E) CORRECT. This choice is the most concise and correct. “The county government” correctly follows
the modifying phrase “hoping to alleviate…” The concise phrase “raised…by eleven percent” is used.
Finally, the active construction “the county government…raised…property taxes” replaces the wordier
passive construction “property taxes…were raised…by the county government.”