Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productiv

Question

Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

A. Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

B. Although they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants, the race of cloned human beings suggested by some science-fiction writers may never be created by genetic engineers.

C. Although some science-fiction writers have suggested a race of cloned human beings that genetic engineers may never create, they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants.

D. Even though genetic engineers may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested, they may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants.

E. More productive and disease-resistant plants may be produced by genetic engineers using cloning techniques even though they may never create the race of cloned humans that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

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daagh · Accepted Answer

Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

Beautiful question regarding the essentials of the uses of pronouns in complex sentences, and the changed word order leading to warped meaning.

The concept is that whenever there is a pronoun in the subordinate portion of a complex sentence, the subordinate clause should be followed by the subject of the main clause. In addition, the protocol of pronoun reference is that the pronoun first refers to the subject of the main clause, and if that be not suitable, may seek any other logical eligible referent.

A. Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested. --- 1. Despite is a preposition; a clause cannot follow that. --- wrong

B. Although they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants, the race of cloned human beings suggested by some science-fiction writers may never be created by genetic engineers. –The main clause must start with the Engineers. --- wrong

C. Although some science-fiction writers have suggested a race of cloned human beings that genetic engineers may never create, they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants. --- 'They' refers to the writers—wrong

D. Even though genetic engineers may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested, they may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants. --- 'They' refers to engineers. --  The correct choice

E. More productive and disease-resistant plants may be produced by genetic engineers using cloning techniques even though they may never create the race of cloned humans that some science-fiction writers have suggested. --- 'They' refers to the plants – wrong

stne · Answer

Tested : Modifier

A : despite is not correct usage in this context.  INCORRECT.

B:  although  is incorrectly.... modifying  the race . It should modify genetic engineers  INCORRECT.

C: Pronoun  they  after the comma incorrectly refers to  science fiction writers  , well as it should refer to  genetic engineers.  INCORRECT.

D.  Genetic engineers  and pronoun  they  are both at the beginning of the sentence and correctly refers to each other. Modifier is correctly placed. CORRECT.

E. More productive and disease-resistant plants may be produced by genetic engineers : passive construction not as clear as in D.  INCORRECT.

Ans- D

NiftyNiffler · Answer

Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

A. Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.  -- "despite that" is wrong conjunction in this context

B. Although they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants, the race of cloned human beings suggested by some science-fiction writers may never be created by genetic engineers.  -- "they" is wrongly modifying "the race of cloned human beings"
 
C. Although some science-fiction writers have suggested a race of cloned human beings that genetic engineers may never create, they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants.  -- "they" could refer to either sci-fi writers or genetic engineers (as rule will refer to the subject of the IC, i.e., sci-fi writers -- wrong)

D. Even though genetic engineers may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested, they may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants.  -- CORRECT, the issue in C is fixed by making genetic engineers the subject noun

E. More productive and disease-resistant plants may be produced by genetic engineers using cloning techniques even though they may never create the race of cloned humans that some science-fiction writers have suggested.  -- Passive construct, wordy

So, the answer is  D

Kritisood · Answer

daagh. how does they correctly refer back to engineers in D but not in C?

daagh · Answer

kriti

Did you see the concept, which I have stated at the beginning of the reply? That should make things clear to you.

Kritisood · Answer

I had missed that daagh. thanks for the response.

lakshya14 · Answer

In (D), it starts with a dependent clause connected by "that" with another dependent clause. Later after comma, it starts an independent clause, which starts with "they", so should refer back to the subject of the first clause or the second clause?

ChiranjeevSingh · Answer

Here's the official explanation provided by the GMAC for this question:

The sentence addresses the scope and limitations of cloning techniques. These techniques, we are told, can improve agricultural plants, but it is conceded that, contrary to what science-fiction writers have imagined, such techniques may never be successfully used to create a new strain of humans. The main flaw in the given sentence is the use of the unidiomatic despite that, where although or even though would better express the intended concession.

Option A: As explained, this version fails because of the use of despite that. Despite normally functions as a preposition governing a pronoun, noun, or noun phrase rather than a noun clause introduced by that. Treating despite that as a conjunction that can function like although and introduce a clause is not generally accepted as grammatically correct.

Option B: The forward-reference of the pronoun they is not sufficiently clear; there is a natural tendency to read it initially as referring to cloned human beings, even though that makes little sense in the context of the sentence as a whole.

Option C: The pronoun they is naturally taken as referring to science-fiction writers, but that reference makes little sense in the context of the sentence as a whole; it is unlikely that the intended thought is that science fiction writers would use cloning techniques. The relative clause that … create is a modifier of a race … human beings, but because the entire phrase (noun phrase plus the modifying relative clause) conveys what some fiction writers suggest, the noun phrase cloned human beings that genetic engineers may never create is incoherent (cloned by definition entails being genetically engineered).

Option D: Correct. The pronoun they clearly refers back to genetic engineers. The words even though correctly introduces a clause used to concede something.

Option E: The use of the passive verb form may be produced is unnecessarily convoluted and provides no improvement on the given sentence. The fact that they is preceded by several plurals tends to confuse the issue of which plural noun it refers to. Even if context suggests that it refers to genetic engineers, grammatically it should refer back to the subject of the main clause (more productive and disease-resistant plants).<a name="_GoBack"></a>

The correct answer is D.

Please note that I'm not the author of this explanation. I'm just posting it here since I believe it can help the community.

daprince · Answer

Does anyone have examples in which the word "despite" has been used correctly vs. incorrectly?

I have noted from the official explanation that "despite" normally functions as a preposition governing a pronoun, noun, or noun phrase rather than a noun clause introduced by that

I would greatly appreciate any examples you may be able to provide. Thanks!

Basshead · Answer

Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants despite that they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

A. Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants  despite that  they may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

-- 'despite that' is not correct.

B. Although they may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants,  the race  of cloned human beings suggested by some science-fiction writers may never be created by genetic engineers.

-- 'the race of cloned human beings' may use cloning techniques?

C. Although some science-fiction writers have suggested a race of cloned human beings that genetic engineers may never create,  they  may use cloning techniques to produce more productive and disease-resistant plants.

-- 'they' refers to science fiction writers, which is non-sensical.

D. Even though genetic engineers may never create the race of cloned human beings that some science-fiction writers have suggested, they may use cloning techniques to develop more productive and disease-resistant plants.

-- Looks good. Keep.

E. More productive and disease-resistant plants  may be produced  by genetic engineers using cloning techniques even though  they  may never create the race of cloned humans that some science-fiction writers have suggested.

-- Not sure if 'they' refers to genetic engineers or cloning techniques.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productiv

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Genetic engineers may use cloning techniques to develop more productiv

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