In the Middle ages, the distressingly high infant mortality rate,

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Choice A: This answer choice suffers from a meaning error due to improper construction; the phrase "when compared to a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now" incorrectly implies that the infant mortality rate of the Middle Ages was 300-350, per 1000 live births only when compared to the modern infant mortality rate in rich countries. These two statistics exist independently, and this sentence compares the two to highlight the severity of the former. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice B: This answer choice incorrectly uses the present tense verb "is" to refer to an event in the far part. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice C: This answer choice fails to maintain parallelism between the verbs "was reckoned" and "resulted". Moreover, this answer choice presents extra information between two commas; if this information is removed, the resulting sentence must be complete in itself. However, if the extra information in this answer choice is removed, the resulting sentence is "In the Middle ages, the distressingly high infant mortality rate and resulted in the parents’ relative lack of interest in their children." Thus, the superfluous conjunction "and" renders this answer choice incorrect.

Choice D: This answer choice maintains parallelism and proper tense use, conveys the intended meaning of the sentence, and is properly constructed. Thus, this answer choice is correct.

Choice E: This answer choice also suffers from the error of superfluous conjunction, similar to the one seen in Option C, due to the inclusion of the word "which". Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

As this sentence is quite complex, it is important to understand its exact meaning. The core meaning of this sentence is that the high infant mortality rate in the Middle ages caused parents to take relatively little interest in their children. The information presented between the commas is additional information that highlights this core meaning by informing us just how high the mortality rate was, compared to the modern rate. Another thing to remember is that the subject of this sentence is "rate" and the action it takes is "resulted".

To understand the concept of "Extra Information Between Two Commas", you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



To understand the concept of "Compared With v/s Compared To", you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



All the best!
Experts' Global Team

In the Middle ages, the distressingly high infant mortality rate, reckoned in the first year of life to have been around 300-350 per 1,000 live births when compared to a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now, resulted in the parents’ relative lack of interest in their children.

A) reckoned in the first year of life to have been around 300-350 per 1,000 live births when compared to a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now,--- Here is a sly modification pitfall. The phrase 'in the first year of life,' should actually modify the 300-350 live births and per se should be next to "the live births", whereas in this choice, it modifies reckoned. This is a phenomenal error.

B) which is around 300-350 per 1,000 live births in the first year of life compared with a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now,--- the shift of tense is incorrect.

C) which was reckoned to have been around 300-350 per 1,000 live births in the first year of life compared with a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now, and --- This is am fragment as the substantive noun phrase "the mortality rate, which was reckoned to have been around 300-350 per 1,000 live births in the first year of life compared with a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now--- has no verb.


D) reckoned to have been around 300-350 per 1,000 live births in the first year of life compared with a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now, --- The fragmentation has been avoided by removing the intrusive conjunction 'and'. In addition this choice is made concise by the dropping of the words ' which was'.

E) reckoned to have been around 300-350 per 1,000 live births in the first year of life as compared with a single-digit figure per 1,000 in rich countries now, which -- This is also a sheer fragment. There is no main clause at all.

D is the best of the choices.

The question tests the concept of construction and structure.
The underlined portion is an extra piece of information that is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma. The subject and the verb of the sentence are separated from each other by the underlined portion. The subject of the sentence is “the mortality rate” and the verb is “resulted”.

In Option B, there is an error of tense. The present tense form ‘is’ has been used in a sentence that is about the Middle Ages. So, Option B can be eliminated.

In Option C, there is a redundant conjunction ‘and’. The use of the conjunction in this sentence is incorrect as the conjunction is in effect being placed between the subject and verb. Only a modifier can separate a subject from its verb. So, Option C can also be eliminated.

In Option E the relative pronoun ‘which’ makes it a sentence fragment. The placement of a relative pronoun before the verb converts the last part of the sentence into a subordinate clause and leaves the subject of the sentence (mortality rate) without a verb. The sentence thus becomes a sentence fragment. So, Option E can also be eliminated.

Options A and D are similar to each other in construction but there is a subtle difference in meaning because of the placement of the phrase “in the first year of life”. The placement of the phrase after the past participle ‘reckoned’ in Option A conveys the meaning that the reckoning took place in the first year of life.
However, the intended meaning is that the 300-350 per 1,000 live births was in the first year of life. The comparison is between the first year of life and now. So, Option A can be eliminated.

Option D is more logical. Therefore, D is the most appropriate option.

Jayanthi Kumar.

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