Bufo marinus toads, fierce predators that will eat frogs, lizards, and even small birds, are native to South America but were introduced into Florida during the 1930's in an attempt to control pests in the state's vast sugarcane fields. (A) are native to South America but were introduced into Florida during the 1930's in an attempt to control (B) are native in South America but were introduced into Florida during the 1930's as attempts to control (C) are natives of South America but were introduced into Florida during the 1930's in an attempt at controlling (D) had been native to South America but were introduced to Florida during the 1930's as an attempt at controlling (E) had been natives of South America but were introduced to Florida during the 1930's as attempts at controlling https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/28/science/poisonous-toads-spread-in-florida.html Three-pound toads that secrete a posion powerful enough to kill animals are multiplying in Central Florida, north of their usual habitat, according to biologists. The bufo marinus toads, which can grow as long as 12 inches, are native to South America but were introduced in South Florida in the 1930's in an attempt to control pests in the region's vast sugar-cane fields. Glands near their eyes contain a substance poisonous to animals, including dogs and cats, that eat the toads. The toads are ''ferocious predators,'' said Henry Mushinsky, a biologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa. ''They'll eat frogs, lizards, even small mice and maybe small birds.'' Choice A is best. The phrasing are native to correctly suggests that the toad species in indigenous to, and still exists in, South America. In B, native in is unidiomatic; in C and E, natives of illogically suggests that each toad now in Florida hails from South America. In D and E, had been inaccurately implies that the toads are no longer native, or indigenous, to South America, and introduced to Florida is unidiomatic. Both as attempts in B and E and as an attempt in D are wrong because the attempt consists not of the toads themselves, but of their introduction into the environment. The correct phrase, in an attempt , should be completed by an infinitive (here, to control ), as in A.

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Bufo marinus toads, fierce predators that will eat frogs, lizards, and

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KarishmaB

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13 May 2020, 23:43

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saby1410

Hi
egmat GMATNinja VeritasKarishma ChiranjeevSingh

In option D & E.
1.meaning is distorted by telling toads are no longer natives.
2.also now there isn't any contrast is it just acting as fact?

Yes, an important point about past perfect - the state need to be over.

e.g. you cannot say
A had discovered B ... (you must say A discovered B because that fact remains and will remain)

Similarly, you cannot say 'A had been native to B'. It doesn't matter at how many places you introduce A, it will remain native to B.

So reject (D) and (E) outright.

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04 Apr 2022, 11:14

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KarishmaB GMATNinja DmitryFarber

In option A isn't native(singular) for plural subject a deterministic error? I selected option C because of this. Please do help.

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KarishmaB GMATNinja DmitryFarber

In option A isn't native(singular) for plural subject a deterministic error? I selected option C because of this. Please do help.

(A) ... toads ... are native to South America...
is correct. 'native' is used as an adjective.
Much like "They are happy to help..."

When native is used as a noun, we use it with 'of'.
We say "they are natives of South America..."
In that case, we would use plural 'natives'.

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