Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will

Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June isa reliable forecaster of drought.


A. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is; the extreme anomalies is a singular subject takes singular verb is, extreme is adjective modifying anomalies which requires a plural verb

B. drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are ; subject verb error the extreme anomalies are is incorrect

C be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is; comparison is not correct, rainfall will be lower for last year

D. be much lower this year than last, the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are; run on sentence, two ICs connected by comma

E. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

E is the right answer.


The plural subject anomalies does not agree in number with the singular verb is. Rainfall will be much lower X: this year than Y: last [year]. The comparison in A on the other hand, is okay. Eliminate A for the S-V error.


The subject-verb agreement error in A is corrected in B. Rainfall will drop greatly X: this year below Y: last year's. The comparison is absurd. Rainfall will drop greatly this year below the drop in rainfall last year? This is not a very logical comparison. I will look for a better alternative that probably maintains the original sentence and only correct the subject-verb agreement error in A.


The subject-verb agreement error in A is repeated in C. Eliminate C.


The subject verb agreement error is corrected in D and the comparison is the same as in the original sentence. However, D is run on sentence. Two main clauses cannot be joined together with only a comma. A subordinator is required for the second clause. Eliminate D.


Correct. The S-V error is corrected in E. The comparison maintains the same correct structure that is in the original sentence. E is superior in my opinion to B.

Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is a reliable forecaster of drought.


A. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is --- anomalies are plural and requires ‘are’ as the verb

B. drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June --- there is no verb; This is a fragment.

C be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is --- anomalies are plural and requires ‘are’ as the verb


D. be much lower this year than last, the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are --- This is a run-on sentence. There is no proper conjugation between the two ICs

E. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are --- The correct choice using proper S-V number agreement.
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Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is a reliable forecaster of drought.

A. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is - WRONG. S-V error

B. drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are - WRONG. Change in meaning as if drop was also there relative to last to last year.

C be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is - WRONG. For is not idiomatic and SV error.

D. be much lower this year than last, the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are - WRONG. Two ICs without any connectors. Not a sentence.

E. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are - CORRECT.

IMO Answer E.
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notes: anomalies is plural, thus are; this year x last [year]; lower than is the idiom.

ans (E)

I would say answer is B - good use of the " 's" to make a comparison and good subject-verb agreement. I was however unsure of the redundancy with saying "drop greatly below"

My thought process:-
POE
Anomalies –> Plural, hence use of “is” is incorrect
A & C eliminated

In B – “drop greatly this year below last year's seems” to distort the meaning and incorrect.
In D – eliminating “as” and putting a comma before “the extreme anomalies….” Dilute the sense of reasoning
In E – all of the above errors are corrected hence, it’s correct.

Please guide if any of my assumptions or approach is wrong

ANS E

A. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is

B. drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

C be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is

D. be much lower this year than last, the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are .. Run-on sentence

E. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is a reliable forecaster of drought.

The sentence A is correct except for the S-V error of is. The comparison as well as link between sentences is appropriate.

IMO E corrects the S-V error and retains the meaning of the sentence

A. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is

B. drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

C be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is

D. be much lower this year than last, the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

E. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

E is the correct answer. A and C have subject-verb error. In option D, two Independent clauses are connected by ",", which is not correct.

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June isa reliable forecaster of drought.


A. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The singular verb is does not agree with the plural subject anomalies.

What helps identify this question as a Subject Verb Agreement question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: A long, complex subject or a great distance between subject and verb


B. drop greatly this year below last year's as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects the Subject Verb Agreement mistake in the original sentence, it is stylistically flawed. The phrase drop greatly this year below last year's is wordy and redundant.


C be much lower this year than for last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June is

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The singular verb is does not agree with the plural subject anomalies.

In addition, this answer choice introduces a comparatives mistake, by comparing two things that are not grammatically parallel, i.e. not the same part of speech: this year with for last. In the original sentence the comparison between the modifier this and the modifier last is correct - they both modify year (this year, last [year]).


D. be much lower this year than last, the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects the Subject Verb Agreement mistake in the original sentence, it is grammatically incorrect. By eliminating the reason conjunction as, the sentence becomes a run-on sentence: there is nothing connecting the two clauses:

Meteorologists predict that rainfall in central southern Africa will be much lower this year than last,
[?]
the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are a reliable forecaster of drought.

Note that a comma cannot connect two clauses.


E. be much lower this year than last as the extreme anomalies of positive sea level pressure measured at Darwin between March and June are

This answer choice corrects the Subject Verb Agreement mistake in the original sentence by changing the singular is to the plural are, so it agrees with the plural subject anomalies.
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