Quote:
Due to the enormous coincidence of conditions that must exist to support intelligent life, many people believe that Earth is the only such planet in the universe.
A. to support
B. for the support of
C. for supporting
D. for a planet’s supporting
E. for a planet to support
KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONRead the original sentence carefully, looking for errors:
The major error in this sentence is revealed by the phrase "only such planet." This phrase is not underlined, so it can't be changed. A phrase using “such” in this manner sets up a comparison between Earth and another planet. The sentence as written doesn't mention another planet to complete the comparison with Earth.
Scan and group the answer choices:
(A), (B), and (C) do not include mention of a planet, while (D) and (E) do. Use this 3-2 split to begin eliminating choices.
Eliminate answer choices until only one remains:
On the basis of the original error, quickly eliminate (A), (B), and (C), all of which fail to provide a reference to a planet or planets.
(D)'s usage of "a planet's supporting" makes "supporting" the noun, modified by "planet's." "Supporting" can't be compared to "Earth," so eliminate (D).
(E) is the only remaining choice and is the correct answer. It fits perfectly into the original sentence and correctly compares "a planet" to "Earth."
TAKEAWAY: The best clue to the correct answer is frequently in the non-underlined part of the original sentence. The non-underlined parts of the sentence can't be changed and thus force the underlined section to agree with them.