Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
joemama142000 wrote:
There are several ways to build solid walls using just mud or clay, but the most extensively used method has been the forming of bricks out of mud or clay, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, they are laid in the wall in mud mortar.
A. the forming of bricks out of mud or clay, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, they are laid
B. forming the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them
C. having bricks formed from mud or clay, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, they were laid
D. to form the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them
E. that bricks were formed from mud or clay, which, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, were laid
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 the most extensively used method of building walls with mud or clay has been to form the mud or clay into bricks, and, after some preliminary air drying or sun drying, to lay them in the wall in mud mortar.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Parallelism• "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
• Any elements linked through conjunction ("and" in this case) must be parallel.
A: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between the noun phrase "the forming of bricks out of mud or clay" and the clause "they are laid in the wall in mud mortar"; please remember, any elements linked through conjunction ("and" in this case) must be parallel.
B: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between "forming the mud or clay into bricks" and "to lay them in the wall in mud mortar"; please remember, any elements linked through conjunction ("and" in this case) must be parallel.
C: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between "having bricks formed from mud or clay" and "they were laid in the wall in mud mortar"; please remember, any elements linked through conjunction ("and" in this case) must be parallel.
D: Correct. This answer choice avoids the subject-verb disagreement seen in Option E, as it refers to the plural noun "bricks" with the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + lay" in this sentence) rather than an active verb. Further, Option D correctly refers to the noun "bricks" with the phrase "to lay them in the wall in mud mortar", conveying the intended meaning - that
the bricks formed out of mud or clay were laid in the wall in mud mortar. Additionally, Option D maintains parallelism between "to form the mud or clay into bricks" and "to lay them in the wall in mud mortar".
E: This answer choice incorrectly refers to the singular noun "clay" with the plural verb phrase "were laid". Further, Option E incorrectly refers to "clay" with the phrase "which were laid", incorrectly implying that
the clay itself was laid in the wall in mud mortar; the intended meaning is that
the bricks formed out of mud or clay were laid in the wall in mud mortar; remember, "who/whose/whom/which/where", when preceded by a comma, refer to the noun just before the comma.
Hence, D is the best answer choice.All the best!
Experts' Global Team