OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
Quote:
Because red flags are likely to be raised at the IRS by the reporting of gambling income, business owners who report their income as business revenue is less likely to undergo an audit.
• Meaning?
→ Business owners who earn gambling money should report that gambling income to the IRS as "business revenue" in order to avoid raising red flags at the IRS and to avoid undergoing an audit.
→ So
gambling income is a problem.
• The Big Issue:
The, that, those, these, such, etc. as words that mean "something previously mentioned."**
My emphasis is on
previously mentioned.
Sometimes we use words such as
the, that, and even
such as signals: we are talking about a noun that we have already mentioned or that is common knowledge (not applicable in this question).
→
The bank teller checked the cash deposit carefully, placing the bills in a mechanical counter to confirm she had added correctly."The" bills refers to the previously mentioned
cash in the cash deposit.
→
Although bullying and pushiness may not seem all that harmful, such qualities create toxic atmospheres and enable the glorification of raw power. (The phrase "such qualities" refers to "bullying and pushiness."
→
I like the cuisine of Italy better than that of England. "That" refers to cuisine. [Now, if only Italy had a Cadbury factory. . . .]
• The rule: when a word such as
the, that, or
such signals a "previously referenced" word, you must actually have mentioned that previous word
before you use the shorter words to allude or refer to the earlier-mentioned thing.
When you read options C, D, and E, pretend as if you are reading each for the first time and without knowledge gleaned from options A and B.
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) Because red flags are likely to be raised at the IRS by the reporting of gambling income, business owners who report their income as business revenue is less likely to undergo an audit.
• Subject/verb disagreement
→ The plural subject
owners does not agree with the singular verb
isEliminate A
Quote:
B) Because the reporting of gambling income is likely to raise red flags at the IRS, business owners can reduce their chances of undergoing an audit by reporting that income as business revenue.
• I see no errors
• Because X, Y is logical. The prose is crisp. The language is active.
• This part is easy to see: "that income" means "gambling income."
KEEP
Quote:
C) Business owners can reduce their chances of undergoing an audit by reporting the income as business revenue, because the reporting of gambling income is likely to raise red flags at the IRS.
• No previous reference for "
the income," and this "the" requires such a reference
→ What the heck is "the income" in this sentence referencing?
Reporting
what "income"?
Why am I forced to wait until the end of the sentence to hazard a guess about what "the income" means, never mind knowing for sure?
Why? Because this is a poorly written sentence.
• "the reporting of" is clunky and not as concise or strong as similar language in option B.
Option B states:
by reporting that income asOption C states
by the reporting of. We don't need the extra words.
Eliminate C
Quote:
D) Their chances of undergoing an audit are reduced by business owners who report that income as business revenue, because the reporting of gambling income is likely to raise red flags at the IRS.
• No previous reference for "that" income, and this "that" requires such a reference
→ In English, it is jarring to hear a reference to something definite, such as
that income, without having first heard about whatever "that" refers to.
It is illogical (and bad form) to refer to a noun that the writer has not yet mentioned.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
E) The reporting of that income as business revenue can reduce the chances of business owners of undergoing an audit, because of the red flags not having been raised at the IRS by the reporting of gambling income.
• No previous reference for "that" income. Same problem as that in options C and D
• A stylistic disaster for very specific reasons: long phrases where short ones would do and passive voice galore.
→ Compare options B and E
B: Because the reporting of gambling income is likely to raise red flags at the IRS, . . .
E: ... because of the red flags not having been raised at the IRS by the reporting of gambling income.
ELIMINATE E
The correct answer is B.COMMENTS
the27s ,welcome to SC Butler.
I will repeat my standing invitation: all aspirants are invited to post on SC Butler.
Be brave. Post. I know. Doing so is hard. Do so anyway.
To teach is to understand.
Besides, you might just enjoy the confidence boost.
And who cares whether you get a few wrong? I do not. People make mistakes as they learn; in fact, mistakes are often
how we learn.
Plus, I have been known to award kudos for bravery, irrespective of accuracy, as long as you give reasoning a shot on a medium to hard question.
These answers are all very good.
Nicely done.
**
From Lexico, the online dictionary from Oxford:
→ THE: Denoting one or more people or things already mentioned or assumed to be common knowledge. Here.
From Collins online dictionary:
→ THE: You use the at the beginning of noun groups to refer to someone or something that you have already mentioned or identified. Here.
close
01 Dec 2021, 00:35
35%
(medium)
30%
(01:56)
wrong 
