Extensively studied by many researchers over th

Question

Extensively studied by many researchers over the last five decades,  the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing  the death of many species of hardwood trees.

(A) the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing

(B) the Asian long horned beetle feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes

(C) Asian long horned beetles feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes

(D) Asian long horned beetles feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, causing

(E) it feeding on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, the Asian long horned beetle causes

broall · Accepted Answer

The action that feeding on something causes the death of something. So the answer must be D.

ng2 · Answer

Please always underline the part that needs correction in SC.
I see that this is your first post. Please read rules of posting.

A–the presence of the pronoun ‘it’ is unnecessary.
B– use of and is incorrect.
C–‘it’ has no legitimate antecedent.
D correct
E–not sure why E is incorrect. Just can say that it is.

akbak · Answer

Thanks broall and ng2.
 broall  can you please explain why e is incorrect ?

elegantm · Answer

Extensively studied by many researchers over the last five decades,  the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing  the death of many species of hardwood trees.

(A) the Asian long horned beetle  feed  on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter,  it  causing
 Singular verb FEEDS should be used for singular noun BEETLE. Use of COMMA before IT to join two clauses is incorrect. What is the Antecedent of IT??? Hence Incorrect

(B) the Asian long horned beetle feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and  it  causes
 What is the Antecedent of IT??? Action in the previous statement can not be the antecedent of IT. Hence Incorrect

(C) Asian long horned beetles  feeds  on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and  it  causes
 Plural verb FEED should be used for plural noun BEETLES. What is the Antecedent of IT??? Action in the previous statement can not be the antecedent of IT. Hence Incorrect

(D) Asian long horned beetles feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, causing
 CORRECT

(E) it feeding on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, the Asian long horned beetle causes
 Misplaced modifier Issue. Fragmented sentence. Hence Incorrect

sandysilva · Answer

It is easy to eliminate the three out of 5 choices. It then comes down to B and D.

(B) the Asian long horned beetle feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes

The two independent clauses that are:-
1. the Asian long horned beetle feeds.
2. it causes death of trees.
These clauses are only connected by "and" , the correct link of two independent clauses is either by using a semi colon or by using COMMA+FANBOYS.

(D) Asian long horned beetles feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, causing
 ANSWER. Cause and effect relationship is made correctly .

atulindia · Answer

Extensively studied by many researchers over the last five decades,  the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing  the death of many species of hardwood trees.

(A) the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing--  it causing SV error

(B) the Asian long horned beetle feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes- -feeds on leaves is causes not long horn beetle, it refer to long horn beetle

(C) Asian long horned beetles  feeds  on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes--  same error as B also SV error

(D) Asian long horned beetles feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, causing-  correct verb-ing modifier presenting result of the previous clause action

(E) it feeding on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, the Asian long horned beetle causes-  multiple error construction error

push12345 · Answer

Answer is D
as it correctly shows cause and effect relationship with "causing" after comma

and "It causes"
is wrong as in that case it is not an independent clause and does not make complete sentence.

Beetles cause death of many species of trees. (Not complete sentence)

Give kudos if it helps

vasuca10 · Answer

Extensively studied by many researchers over the last five decades, the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing the death of many species of hardwood trees.

(A) the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing - INCORRECT, Subject Verb Agreement Error as the Asian Long horned beetle is singular and feeds is plural. Also it is incorrectly used here as beetle itself did not caused death of many species. Its feeding on something caused the death of many species
 
(B) the Asian long horned beetle feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes  INCORRECT as beetle itself did not caused death of many species. Its feeding on something caused the death of many species

(C) Asian long horned beetles feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and it causes -  INCORRECT as SV Agreement error as Asian long horned beetles is plural and feeds is singular. Also Error in Option B repeated

(D) Asian long horned beetles feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, causing - CORRECT as the action of feeding caused death of many species, so modifier misplacement error is sorted here

(E) it feeding on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, the Asian long horned beetle causes -  INCORRECT as misplaced modifier issue

Romil042 · Answer

Extensively studied by many researchers over the last five decades,  the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing  the death of many species of hardwood trees.

the beetle is singular and feed is plural
SV agreement is incorrect. 
A is out

SV is good. 
it placement is incorrect, it will look like
the ALH beetle feeds XXXX and the beetle causes
again it is ambiguous, it can refer to plant also.

Same as A

Clear

Wrong comparison.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Extensively studied by many researchers over the last five decades, the Asian long horned beetle feed on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, it causing the death of many species of hardwood trees.

(A) the Asian long horned  beetle   feed  on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter,  it  causing

(B) the Asian long horned beetle feeds on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter  and  it causes

(C) Asian long horned  beetles   feeds  on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter and  it  causes

(D) Asian long horned  beetles   feed  on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter,  causing

(E)  it  feeding on leaves, twigs, and most other plant matter, the Asian long horned beetle causes
Options A and C have SVA errors. Option E is very poorly constructed-

Between options B and D, option  D is correct.

We are not talking about two separate or unrelated events. So the use of "and" would be inappropriate. As we are talking about the result/ consequence, we have to use the participle /-ing form.

VP 
GMAT SME

VerbalBot · Answer

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Extensively studied by many researchers over th

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