School integration plans that involve busing between suburban and cent

Question

School integration plans that involve busing between suburban and central-city areas have contributed, according to a recent study, to  significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn, reduces  any future need for busing.

(A) significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn, reduces
(B) significant integration increases in housing, which, in turn, reduces
(C) increase housing integration significantly, which, in turn, reduces
(D) increase housing integration significantly, in turn reducing
(E) significantly increase housing integration, which, in turn, reduce

daagh · Accepted Answer

School integration plans that involve busing between suburban and central city areas have contributed, according to a recent study, to  significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn,  reduces any future need for busing.

A highly debatable question. The reasoning is that social integration plans lead to increases in housing integration first and these increases (not the housing integration per se) cause the reduction in any future need for additional busing.  
 
 (A) significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn, ----  'which' refers to housing integration and not to the increases. If it were to refer to the increases, then the verb should be the plural 'reduce' rather than 'reduces'. This is a logic error.

(B) significant integration increases in housing, which, in turn, reduces -- 'which' should refer to the integration increases and not housing. The same problem as in A.

(C) increase housing integration significantly, which, in turn, reduces --  to increase is an infinitive and therefore 'which' refers just to housing integration but not the increases.  
(D) increase housing integration significantly, in turn reducing --   the adverbial modifier 'in turn reducing' modifies the previous clause school integration plans have contributed to -- This is the only choice that seems to have some semblance of rationale.  
(E) significantly increase housing integration, which, in turn, reduce --  Basic S-V error

If one ignores the relevance of logic, one may go for A, as the 'which' apparently seems to refer to the 'integration'. In that case, B also could be a hot contender with the relative pronoun modifying 'housing'. All in all, this is a confusing question.

ShankSouljaBoi · Answer

Very confusing question. I don't like any option at all. Going with D

Posted from my mobile device

Tracy95 · Answer

Strike out C, D, and E because the verb "contribute to" must be followed by a noun

(A) significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn, reduces => correct!  "housing integration" is a correct compound noun (similar to "school integration" in the original sentence)
(B) significant integration increases in housing, which, in turn, reduces => "integration increases" sounds awkward, "increases in housing" changes the meaning

emcheeks · Answer

School integration plans that involve busing between suburban and central-city areas have contributed, according to a recent study, to  significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn, reduces  any future need for busing.

(A) significant increases in housing integration, which, in turn, reduces

Correct.

(B) significant integration increases in housing, which, in turn, reduces

changes the original meaning. Originally:  significant increases in housing integration . Now:  significant integration increases in housing . The "significant" used to modify increases but now modifies "integration". 
 
(C) increase housing integration significantly, which, in turn, reduces

idiom: "contribute to sth". it cannot be "contribute to do sth". Or it has to be "contribute to  an  increase  in ..."
 
(D) increase housing integration significantly, in turn reducing

same problem as C. 
 
(E) significantly increase housing integration, which, in turn, reduce 
 
same problem as C. "increase" is a verb here or it has to be "increase  in ..."

HarshGupta01 · Answer

how can we use singular verb"increases" with plural subject "plans"?

DmitryFarber · Answer

HarshGupta01

In this context, "increases" is a noun. PLANS contributed to increases. One way we can tell it's a noun is that it's followed by a modifier, not an object. It didn't say "Plans increases integration." It said "plans contributed TO increases IN integration."

School integration plans that involve busing between suburban and cent

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School integration plans that involve busing between suburban and cent

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