Bunuel wrote:
Fitness experts say that the weighted barbell squat or the weighted hip thrust, each part of a family of training maneuvers called compound movements,
is one of the best exercises for isolating and building the gluteal muscles.
A. is one of the best exercises for isolating and building the gluteal muscles
B. are among the best exercises to isolate and for building the gluteal muscles
C. is one of the best exercises for isolating and to build the gluteal muscles
D. are among the best exercises for isolating and building the gluteal muscles
E. is one of the best exercises to isolate and for building the gluteal muscles
KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
(A)
STEP 1: READ THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE CAREFULLY, LOOKING FOR ERRORSWhenever a sentence contains an underlined verb, look for subject-verb agreement. In this sentence, the verb “is” is singular. The subject of the sentence is composed of the names of two exercises, connected by the conjunction “or.” When a compound subject is connected by “or” and the last noun in the subject is singular, it takes a singular verb, meaning that “is” is correct. The rest of the sentence proceeds logically and without error.
STEP 2: SCAN AND GROUP THE ANSWER CHOICES(A), (C), and (E) retain the verb “is.” (B) and (D) contain the verb “are.”
STEP 3: ELIMINATE CHOICES UNTIL ONLY ONE REMAINSSince “is” is the correct verb, eliminate (B) and (D). Of the remaining choices, (C) and (E) do not use a parallel structure in the phrase at the end, using “for isolating and to build” and “to isolate and for building,” respectively. That leaves (A) as the correct answer