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23 May 2021, 00:43
Kudos
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E
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
25%
(medium)
Question Stats:
61% (00:58) correct
39%
(01:03)
wrong
based on 291
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Noticing that the fossils were too delicate to be removed from the rock, so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.
A) so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.
B) so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought them to the lab.
C) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought it to the lab.
D) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought them to the lab.
E) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.
23 May 2021, 00:49
Kudos
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Noticing that the fossils were too delicate to be removed from the rock, so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to their lab.
A) so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.
B) so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought them to the lab.
C) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought it to the lab.
D) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought them to the lab.
E) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.[/quote]
• Meaning?
A research team dug up a block of stone that contained some fossils [them] and brought this block of stone [it] to the lab.
• Split #1: Noun-pronoun disagreement
The word fossils is plural.
The fossils are embedded in rock.
The team dug a block of stone from this larger rock.
In that stone, fossils were embedded.
The correct expression should be encompassing them to refer to the fossils.
Options C and D incorrectly use the singular pronoun it to refer to the plural noun fossils.
Eliminate C and D.
• Split #2: Noun-pronoun disagreement
The team cut a block of stone from the larger rock and brought this block of stone to the lab.
The noun stone is singular; the correct pronoun is it.
The correction expression should be "brought it" to refer to the block of stone.
Options B and D incorrectly use the plural them to refer to the singular block of stone.
Eliminate B. (Option D is already gone.)
• Split #3: SO is nonsensical
In this context, so is a conjunction (one of the FANBOYS) that "is used to say that something is the reason why something else happens." Cambridge Diction online, here.
The sentence begins with a noun modifier.
Whenever you see an ___ING word at the beginning of a sentence and in a phrase set off by a comma, decide whether that introduction is a noun modifier, which it almost always will be.
→ If the introductory part of a sentence is a noun-modifier, that noun should come right after the first comma.
By the [Noun] Modifier Touch rule, a modifier should be as close to its noun as possible.
In options A and B, what follows the comma is not the team (though it should be), but rather, the word so—modifier error
Options A and B also incorrectly use so as a conjunction.
We already know why the team cut a block of stone in order to get the fossils to the lab: the fossils were too delicate to be removed from the rock.
In other words, the introductory modifier, Noticing that the fossils were too delicate gives us the reason that the team cut a block of stone to preserve the fossils.
Eliminate A (option B is already gone)
By POE, the Answer is E.
→ Option E correctly uses them to refer to fossils
→ Option E correctly uses it to refer to block of stone
→ Option E does not have a random so plopped between the two parts of the sentence.
COMMENTS
sush147 and minalgambhir , welcome to SC Butler.
I will issue my periodic reminder: all aspirants have a standing invitation to post on the SC Butler threads.
Most of these answers range from excellent to outstanding and are quite strong on the explanation side of things.
Two or three of these answers are really top notch.
Very nicely done.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
Noticing that the fossils were too delicate to be removed from the rock, so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to their lab.
A) so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.
B) so the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought them to the lab.
C) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought it to the lab.
D) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought them to the lab.
E) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab.[/quote]
• Meaning?
A research team dug up a block of stone that contained some fossils [them] and brought this block of stone [it] to the lab.
• Split #1: Noun-pronoun disagreement
The word fossils is plural.
The fossils are embedded in rock.
The team dug a block of stone from this larger rock.
In that stone, fossils were embedded.
The correct expression should be encompassing them to refer to the fossils.
Options C and D incorrectly use the singular pronoun it to refer to the plural noun fossils.
Eliminate C and D.
• Split #2: Noun-pronoun disagreement
The team cut a block of stone from the larger rock and brought this block of stone to the lab.
The noun stone is singular; the correct pronoun is it.
The correction expression should be "brought it" to refer to the block of stone.
Options B and D incorrectly use the plural them to refer to the singular block of stone.
Eliminate B. (Option D is already gone.)
• Split #3: SO is nonsensical
In this context, so is a conjunction (one of the FANBOYS) that "is used to say that something is the reason why something else happens." Cambridge Diction online, here.
The sentence begins with a noun modifier.
Whenever you see an ___ING word at the beginning of a sentence and in a phrase set off by a comma, decide whether that introduction is a noun modifier, which it almost always will be.
→ If the introductory part of a sentence is a noun-modifier, that noun should come right after the first comma.
By the [Noun] Modifier Touch rule, a modifier should be as close to its noun as possible.
In options A and B, what follows the comma is not the team (though it should be), but rather, the word so—modifier error
Options A and B also incorrectly use so as a conjunction.
We already know why the team cut a block of stone in order to get the fossils to the lab: the fossils were too delicate to be removed from the rock.
In other words, the introductory modifier, Noticing that the fossils were too delicate gives us the reason that the team cut a block of stone to preserve the fossils.
Eliminate A (option B is already gone)
By POE, the Answer is E.
→ Option E correctly uses them to refer to fossils
→ Option E correctly uses it to refer to block of stone
→ Option E does not have a random so plopped between the two parts of the sentence.
COMMENTS
sush147 and minalgambhir , welcome to SC Butler.
I will issue my periodic reminder: all aspirants have a standing invitation to post on the SC Butler threads.
Most of these answers range from excellent to outstanding and are quite strong on the explanation side of things.
Two or three of these answers are really top notch.
Very nicely done.
23 May 2021, 00:50
Kudos
Bookmarks
generis
IMO C
Noticing that the fossils were too delicate to be removed from the rock--> this is a modifier and will modify the team because a team will notice. Hence A and B out.
Out of C,D,E
C) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought it to the lab --> correct
D) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing it and brought them to the lab.--> then refers to what? The team. But how can you bring a team to the lab. Wrong pronoun. We need singular pronoun to refer to rock
E) the team dug up a block of stone encompassing them and brought it to the lab --> Same issue as D
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