In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated

In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who takes initiative and seeks out new tasks without having to be directly managed at all times.


A. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who takes initiative and seeks --> the quality is someone ?? doesn't make sense

B. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that they most heavily prioritize applicants who take initiative and seek --> correct

C. Recruiters indicated in an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who take initiative, seeking --> same as A

D. Recruiters indicated in an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies that they prioritize most heavily the quality in applicants who take initiative, seeking --> "seeking out" is done by "the recruiters" in the sentence "they prioritize ..., seeking out new tasks", doesn't make sense

E. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicating that they most heavily prioritize applicants who have the quality of taking initiative and who seek--> no main verb

B Should be the correct answer.

A. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who takes initiative and seeks
-> Eliminate

B. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that they most heavily prioritize applicants who take initiative and seek
-> Correct

C. Recruiters indicated in an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who take initiative, seeking
-> Eliminate

D. Recruiters indicated in an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies that they prioritize most heavily the quality in applicants who take initiative, seeking
-> Eliminate

E. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicating that they most heavily prioritize applicants who have the quality of taking initiative and who seek
-> Eliminate

Veritas official explanation
Choices (A) and (C) in this problem showcase a classic case of illogical predication:

"The quality they most prize is...someone who"

Is the person really the quality? The quality could be initiative, or they could be looking for someone who has that quality, but "the quality is someone" is illogical, saying that the quality is a person. Therefore (A) and (C) are incorrect.

(D) has a similarly incorrect meaning in that it speaks of one quality that it never defines: "they prioritize most heavily the quality in applicants who take initiative..." What is the quality?

(B) corrects these issues and is therefore correct - note that by omitting the words "the quality" altogether, (B) is able to describe the quality ("applicants who take initiative") while avoiding the awkward meanings that (A), (C), and (D) have from trying to wedge in that phrase.

(E) simply isn't a complete sentence, as it does not have a verb for the subject "employers." "indicating" may look like a verb but appears as a participial modifier (think of "John running" vs. "John is running").

In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who takes initiative and seeks out new tasks without having to be directly managed at all times.


A. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who takes initiative and seeks. Quality --- is someone. Doesnt make sense. Out

B. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicated that they most heavily prioritize applicants who take initiative and seek. Okay, no meaning issues here, subject and the verb are in agreement. Correct

C. Recruiters indicated in an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies that the quality they prioritize most in an applicant is someone who take initiative, seeking Sounds passive, and quality --- someone is wrong. Out

D. Recruiters indicated in an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies that they prioritize most heavily the quality in applicants who take initiative, seeking wrong use of -ing modifier after the main clause. Passive Construction Out

E. In an extensive survey of Fortune 500 companies, recruiters indicating that they most heavily prioritize applicants who have the quality of taking initiative and who seekIndicating is wrong. Out

VERITAS PREP OFFICIAL SOLUTION:

Choices (A) and (C) in this problem showcase a classic case of illogical predication:

"The quality they most prize is...someone who"

Is the person really the quality? The quality could be initiative, or they could be looking for someone who has that quality, but "the quality is someone" is illogical, saying that the quality is a person. Therefore (A) and (C) are incorrect.

(D) has a similarly incorrect meaning in that it speaks of one quality that it never defines: "they prioritize most heavily the quality in applicants who take initiative..." What is the quality?

(B) corrects these issues and is therefore correct - note that by omitting the words "the quality" altogether, (B) is able to describe the quality ("applicants who take initiative") while avoiding the awkward meanings that (A), (C), and (D) have from trying to wedge in that phrase.

(E) simply isn't a complete sentence, as it does not have a verb for the subject "employers." "indicating" may look like a verb but appears as a participial modifier (think of "John running" vs. "John is running").

If (E) is not a sentence then why (B) is also a sentence? Both have a modifier with recruiters?

Not so, lakshya14, to follow up on our earlier dialogue on identifying verbs and modifiers. In choice (B), indicated is used as a verb, while the rest of the sentence is an extended direct object that tells us what recruiters had indicated in the survey.

[Subject] + [verb] + [direct object]
... recruiters indicated that they most heavily prioritize applicants who take initiative and seek out new tasks without having to be directly managed at all times.

I know it can be confusing to identify parts of speech within embedded phrases and clauses, but, in order, the verb prioritize operates within the embedded that clause (the direct object), and the other verbs, take and seek, operate with the embedded who clause that already exists within the overarching that clause. That is, we have no standalone verb after indicated.

Meanwhile, choice (E) follows a different path of [subject] + [modifier], but that modifier never resolves, leaving us with no verb to complete the predicate and form a legitimate sentence.

... recruiters indicating that they most heavily prioritize applicants who have the quality of taking initiative and who seek out new tasks without having to be directly managed at all times.

You should be thinking, Recruiters indicating [something] means/leads to/VERB [something] will form a complete sentence. The verbs fall within the larger modifier: prioritize within the embedded that clause, the same as before, and have and seek within their respective who clauses.

I know it can be confusing. Just keep working on identifying those subject and verb pairs in the main clause or clauses, and you will get better at SC, even with these tougher questions.

- Andrew

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