Nearly unrivaled in their biological diversity, coral reefs provide

Question

Nearly unrivaled in their biological diversity,  coral reefs provide a host of benefits that includes the supply of protein for people, protecting shorelines , and they contain biochemical sources for new life-saving medicines.

A. coral reefs provide a host of benefits that includes the supply of protein for people, protecting shorelines,
B. coral reefs provide a host of benefits: they supply people with protein, they protect the shorelines,
C. coral reefs provide a host of benefits that include supplying protein for people, as well as shoreline protection,
D. a coral reef provides a host of benefits; they supply protein for people, the protecting of shorelines,
E. a coral reef provides a host of benefits, including protein for people, protecting shorelines,

Kurtosis · Accepted Answer

This question is very easy to answer if the non underlined part is read carefully.

A. coral reefs provide a host of benefits that includes the supply of protein for people, protecting shorelines, - Incorrect - Parallelism error + Singular form 'includes' is used instead of 'include'

B. coral reefs provide a host of benefits: they supply people with protein, they protect the shorelines, - Correct

C. coral reefs provide a host of benefits that include supplying protein for people, as well as shoreline protection, - Incorrect - Parallelism error

D. a coral reef provides a host of benefits; they supply protein for people, the protecting of shorelines, - Incorrect - Same error as C

E. a coral reef provides a host of benefits, including protein for people, protecting shorelines, - Incorrect - Same error as D

Answer: B

sgrover18 · Answer

Hi All,

While i agree that B is the best option available and it stands second to none, I have a concern with how it has been worded. The second clause in the list says " supply people with protein", does this not mean that the coral reefs supply "people" with protein ( people who have protein) ?

I definitely see an ambiguity in the way this option has been constructed. Looking forward to more opinions.

Thanks and Regards,
Shradha

imtiaz009 · Answer

Nearly unrivaled in their biological diversity, coral reefs provide a host of benefits that includes the supply of protein for people, protecting shorelines, and they contain biochemical sources for new life-saving medicines.

A. coral reefs provide a host of benefits that includes the supply of protein for people, protecting shorelines,
---that includes and protecting shorelines not parallel

B. coral reefs provide a host of benefits: they supply people with protein, they protect the shorelines,
-- Parallelism is maintained in they supply, they protect and they contain -- Correct
C. coral reefs provide a host of benefits that include supplying protein for people, as well as shoreline protection,
--- Include do not agree with host

D. a coral reef provides a host of benefits; they supply protein for people, the protecting of shorelines,
 ----in their --- a coral reef do not agree with their
E. a coral reef provides a host of benefits, including protein for people, protecting shorelines,
-- same as D

Abhishek009 · Answer

Nearly unrivaled in their biological diversity,    coral reefs   provide a host of benefits:   they supply   people with protein,   they protect   the shorelines, and   they contain   biochemical sources for new life-saving medicines.

coral reefs provide a host of benefits:

they supply  people with protein, 
 they protect  the shorelines, 
 and they  contain biochemical sources for new life-saving medicines.

Answer will be (B)

arpitgarg · Answer

Another thing we have here is "a host of benefits that include/includes".
I think a host of issues will be plural. So we should have "host of benefits that include".
Just like "The are a host of issues".

Am i correct?

PathFinder007 · Answer

Hi experts  mikemcgarry

could you please provide your comments for option B? I have reached by poe.

I think B is having meaning issue. they supply people with protein ( but we want to say supply protein to people).

Please clarify this.

Thanks.

egmat · Answer

Hello PathFinder007 , I am not sure if you still have this doubt. Nonetheless, here is the answer. Choice B does not lead to meaning change. See, it is very obvious that humans consume protein. It is definitely not the other way round. So saying supply protein to people is similar to saying supply people with protein because what is being supplied is protein, and the receiver are people. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

rtlko · Answer

Hello experts ,

I have a doubt in correct option B
after colon the three parallel elements form clauses
--> they supply people with protein, they protect the shorelines, and they contain..

don't we need a conjunction between first and second clause? Last one forms an independent clause and is connected to the rest of the sentence with "and". I understand that parallelism is better but I fail to understand the sentence structure.
If the statements are part of a list, shouldn't it be written as they supply .. , protect ... , and contain..?

Also could you please explain the error in option C?

srinivasosuri · Answer

Hi there !

While I agree that option 2 is the best available option, isn't it flawed as well ?

"..:they supply people with protein, they protect the shorelines, and they contain biochemical sources.." Here shouldn't each independent clause be connected by a comma + conjunction (rather than just a comma) to be grammatically correct ?

For me the below is more appropriate - " :they supply people with protein and protect the shorelines, and they contain biochemical sources.."

Thank you for your time!

egmat · Answer

Hello srinivasosuri and rtlko , Since both of you ask the same question, here is my response for both of you in the same post. It is true that we go by the rule that independent clauses must be connected by specific conjunctions to keep the structure of the sentence grammatical. However, this sentence is certainly the exception to this rule. And this is what I feel is the beauty of official questions. There is always something new to learn from these sentences.

In answer Choice B, the three independent clauses have been used as parallel elements in the list. If we follow the strict connection rules for these independent clauses, the structure will certainly violate the structure followed to present the parallel list. This is the reason why all the first two independent clauses are connected by a comma as any other elements would be connected, and the last element is preceded by comma + and , the typical connector to join more than two parallel elements in the list. Once again, the correct answer choice of this official sentence drives the fact home that no answer choice should be rejected or accepted solely on the basis of the usage of punctuation mark. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

egmat · Answer

Hello rtlko , I am not sure if you still have this doubt. Here is the explanation nonetheless.

Per the original sentence, the benefits include three items: the supply of protein for people, protecting shorelines, and they contain biochemical sources for new life-saving medicines Although the above-mentioned list is not grammatical, it does convey the intended elements meat to be parallel. However, per choice C, there is no list of benefits. This choice presents the first benefit that is followed by the second intended benefit just as an additional point. The third intended benefit actually appears as a separate information about the the coral reefs altogether. It does not appear to be the part of the list of benefits. This structure leads to chnage in meaning error in Choice C. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

sunny91 · Answer

Hi Abhishek,
How do u explain the absence of a conjunctions of FANBOYS in option B. 
they supply people with protein, they protect the shorelines, and they ......

egmat · Answer

Hello sunny91 , I have already explained the reason for missing conjunction before FANBOYS in the correct answer choice B. Following is the explanation: Hope this helps.

Thanks. Shraddha

lstsch · Answer

What is the correct version: "A host of benefits that includes..." or "A host of benefits that include..."? The answer in the OG doesn't address this. Thanks in advance!

AjiteshArun · Answer

If they don't talk about this, it probably means that there is no way to reliably choose between  include  and  includes . Otherwise, leaving something as simple as a singular/plural call is unthinkable. Add to this the fact that the correct option does not require you to take that call at all, and we seem to be looking at a split that is meant to just distract the test taker.

Tanmaysaxena97 · Answer

Sorry to interrupt, but it is a misprint in the question.
Because the official answer explanation uses semi-colon (;) instead. It used semi-colon not just in the explanation of one option but in four options, one of which is correct.

Posted from my mobile device

JonShukhrat · Answer

I received a pm.

Yes, I think your are correct to say that C is overall grammatically correct. The meaning it delivers, though, is problematic:

1. “supplying protein FOR people” means that people themselves are not supplied with protein, but something else is supplied because people asked or wanted this; this meaning is similar to “please, wash the dishes for me”. 
The correct preposition would be “supplying protein TO people”.

2. Also note that “COMMA + INCLUDING” and “THAT INCLUDE” are mutually exclusive. If one of them is correct in a certain context, then the other would always be wrong.

a) We know that “comma + including” means “for example”:

- I wish I had many luxury cars, including Bentley and Bugatti. = I wish I had many luxury cars, for example Bentley and Bugatti.

This sentence makes sense because Bentley and Bugatti are examples of luxury cars.

b) “X who/which/that includes Y” means “X has Y as a component”:

- I wish I had many luxury cars that include 22 inch wheels.

This sentence also makes sense because luxury cars have these wheels as a component/part. Simply said, these wheels are components of the luxury cars I wish.

c) the problem arises when we confuse a) and b):

- I wish I had many luxury cars that include Bentley and Bugatti

Wrong sentence because Bentley and Bugatti cannot be a component/part of other luxury cars. Of course, this may happen to transformers, for example, when Optimus Prime starts to attach all the fellow cars (autobots) to become a bigger robot, but in reality such usage is wrong.

Take choice C now:

- coral reefs provide a host of benefits THAT INCLUDE supplying protein for people

If you are unsure about whether “that include” is used correctly, then simply replace it with “for example”:

- coral reefs provide a host of benefits, FOR EXAMPLE supplying protein for people...

It works, indeed “supplying a protein” is an example of “benefits” or one of “benefits” provided by coral reefs. Therefore, “that include” is incorrect. We need “comma including” instead:

- coral reefs provide a host of benefits, INCLUDING supplying protein for people...

Choice E is correct in this regard: …a coral reef provides a host of benefits, INCLUDING protein for people...

The official problems that test this nuance are  here  and  here .

For much better explanations, read  RonPurewal   here ,  here , and  here .

PriyamRathor · Answer

Hello Experts,
 EducationAisle   KarishmaB   AndrewN

I just wanted to understand whether  includes  is correct or  include  ?

a host of benefits that includes . Here  that  refers to  benefits  or that jumps over Prepositional Phrase and modifies  a host  ?

If that refers to  benefits  then  include  is correct. 
If that refers to  a host  then  includes  is correct

Thanks.

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Hello  PriyamRathor ,

We hope this finds you well.

To answer your query, in this case, either usage can be considered correct, as the listed benefits can logically be considered a part of the "host" or the "benefits"; this is one more reason why Option B is superior - its construction avoids such ambiguity.

We hope this helps.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team

Nearly unrivaled in their biological diversity, coral reefs provide

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

Nearly unrivaled in their biological diversity, coral reefs provide

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards