From a cache of burnt bones, including bone tools, found in South Africa, Homo erectus had estimated control of fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might have even mastered fire earlier.

A. Homo erectus had estimated control of fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might have even mastered fire earlier

B. Homo erectus is estimated to have controlled fire 700,000 years ago, and other hominid groups even had mastered fire earlier

C. it is estimated that Homo erectus had control of fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might have mastered fire even earlier

D. it is estimated for Homo erectus to have controlled fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might even have mastered fire earlier

E. 700,000 years ago, Homo erectus is estimated as having controlled fire, with other hominid groups even having mastery fire earlier
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Chasing the dragon

From a cache of burnt bones, including bone tools, found in South Africa, Homo erectus had estimated control of fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might have even mastered fire earlier.

The 1st thing to notice here is that the prepositional phrase From a cache of burnt bones, including bone tools, found in South Africa, incorrectly modifies the Verb had estimated whose subject is Homo Erectus. Prepositional phrases can modify Verbs or Nouns. It is nonsensical to say Home erectus had estimated control of fire from a cache of burnt bones found in South Africa.

A. Homo erectus had estimated control of fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might have even mastered fire earlier
Incorrect as explained above

B. Homo erectus is estimated to have controlled fire 700,000 years ago, and other hominid groups even had mastered fire earlier
Same as A

C. it is estimated that Homo erectus had control of fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might have mastered fire even earlier
Here the modifier issue is resolved. This choice correctly conveys the meaning that It is estimated from a cache of burnt bones found in South Africa that homeo erectus had control of fire.

D. it is estimated for Homo erectus to have controlled fire 700,000 years ago, although other hominid groups might even have mastered fire earlier
This choice seems to resolve the Original modifier error but introduces another error by using For homo erectus. This again nonsensically conveys It is estimated from a cache of burnt bones found in South Africa for Homeo erectus that homeo erectus had control of fire.

E. 700,000 years ago, Homo erectus is estimated as having controlled fire, with other hominid groups even having mastery fire earlier
Again modifier error as choices A and B


Hope it helps !
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SandySilva

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Please appreciate the efforts by pressing +1 KUDOS (:

SudhanshuSingh It is certainly possible to mix past and present perfect in one sentence if the time relationships are complicated enough: "I worked hard in college to make up for all that I had failed to learn in high school, but now that I have been out of school for several years, I find that I have forgotten it all anyway." However, there is actually no past perfect in C. The word "had" in that context is simply the past tense of "have." Replace "had" with "achieved" and you'll get the idea.
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Dmitry Farber | Manhattan GMAT Instructor | New York


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No, it is not.

Homo erectus is estimated from a cache of bones... this construction does not make sense - Homo erectus is not estimated from the cache of bones.

It is estimated from a cache of bones ...this construction ( Option C) is alright - "it" (i.e. the placeholder pronoun representing the clause "Homo Erectus had control 700,000 years ago" - the time when they had control) can be estimated from the cache of bones.