Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
bakfed wrote:
Those skeptical of the extent of global warming argue that short-term temperature data are an inadequate means of predicting long-term trends and point out that the scientific community remains divided on whether significant warming will occur and what impact will it have if it does.
(A) on whether significant warming will occur and what impact will it have if it does
(B) on whether warming that occurs will be significant and the impact it would have
(C) as to whether significant warming will occur or the impact it would have if it did
(D) over whether there will be significant warming or the impact it will have
(E) over whether significant warming will occur and what impact it would have
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of the crucial part of this sentence is that the scientific community remains divided over whether significant warming will occur and over what impact it would have.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Tenses + Awkwardness/Redundancy• “will” is preferred for referring to events that are certain to happen and “would” is preferred for referring to events that are hypothetical, meaning the use of “would” alongside verbs that express uncertainty (predict, assume, guess, etc.) is redundant.
A: This answer choice incorrectly uses “will” to refer to a hypothetical action; please remember, “will” is preferred for referring to events that are certain to happen, and “would” is preferred for referring to events that are hypothetical. Further, Option A uses the needlessly wordy phrase “what impact will it have if it does”, leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “whether warming that occurs will be significant”; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the scientific community remains divided over whether the warming that
is sure to occur will be significant; the intended meaning is that the scientific community remains divided over whether
warming that is significant in nature will occur.
C: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “or the impact it would have if it did”; the use of “or” incorrectly implies that the scientific community remains divided
either over whether significant inflation will occur
or over what impact it would have; the intended meaning is that the scientific community remains divided
both over whether significant warming will occur
and over what impact it would have. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase “the impact it would have if it did”, leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase “or the impact it would have if it did”; the use of “or” incorrectly implies that the scientific community remains divided
either over whether significant inflation will occur
or over what impact it would have; the intended meaning is that the scientific community remains divided
both over whether significant warming will occur
and over what impact it would have. Further, Option D incorrectly uses “will” to refer to a hypothetical action; please remember, “will” is preferred for referring to events that are certain to happen and “would” is preferred for referring to events that are hypothetical. Additionally, Option D uses the passive voice construction “there will be significant warming”, leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
E: Correct. This answer choice uses the phrase “whether significant warming will occur and what impact it would have”, conveying the intended meaning – that the scientific community remains divided
both over whether
warming that is significant in nature will occur
and over what impact it would have. Further, Option E correctly uses “would” to refer to a hypothetical event. Additionally, Option E is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
Hence, E is the best answer choice.All the best!
Experts' Global Team