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Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
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A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly's exploits included circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg
A A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly's exploits included
B The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, included
C Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the
D Included in the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits are
E The pioneer journalist's exploits of Nellie Bly included
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist, and her exploits included circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.
Concepts tested here: Subject-Verb Agreement + Meaning + Modifiers + Verb Forms + Awkwardness/Redundancy • In a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• The simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past.
A: This answer choice incorrectly uses "A pioneer journalist" to modify "Nellie Bly's exploits", illogically implying that Nellie Bly's
exploits were a pioneering journalist; the intended meaning is that Nellie Bly,
herself, was a pioneering journalist; please remember, in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun.
B: Correct. This answer choice correctly refers to the plural noun "exploits" with the verb "included", which can be plural as well as singular. Further, Option B correctly uses "a pioneer journalist" to modify "Nellie Bly" and uses the phrase "The exploits of Nellie Bly...included", conveying the intended meaning - that Nellie Bly,
herself, was a pioneering journalist, and her exploits included circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg. Additionally, Option B correctly uses the simple past tense verb "included" to refer to an event that concluded in the past.
C: This answer choice incorrectly uses the present participle ("verb+ing" - "including" in this sentence) to refer to an event that concluded in the past; please remember, the simple past tense is used to refer to events that concluded in the past. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy construction "Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
D: This answer choice incorrectly uses the plural verb "are" to refer to the singular noun phrase "circling the globe". Further, Option D uses the passive voice construction "Included in the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits are", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "The pioneer journalist's exploits of Nellie Bly"; the construction of this phrase incorrectly implies that the pioneer journalist and Nellie Bly were two separate people; the intended meaning is that Nellie Bly,
herself, was a pioneering journalist.
Hence, B is the best answer choice.To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1minute):
To understand the concept of "Simple Tenses" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team