Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
RaviChandra wrote:
State officials report that soaring rates of liability insurance have risen to force cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities.
(A) rates of liability insurance have risen to force
(B) rates of liability insurance are a force for
(C) rates for liability insurance are forcing
(D) rises in liability insurance rates are forcing
(E) liability insurance rates have risen to force
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the meaning of this sentence is key to solving this question; the intended core meaning of this sentence is that the soaring rates of liability insurance are forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Verb Forms• The infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + force" in this sentence) is the preferred construction for referring to the purpose/intent of an action.
A: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "have risen to force"; the construction of this phrase and the use of the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + force" in this sentence) illogically imply that the soaring rates of liability insurance
rose for the purpose of forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities; the intended meaning is that the soaring rates of liability insurance are
currently, practically, forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities; remember, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + force" in this sentence) is the preferred construction for referring to the purpose/intent of an action.
B: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "are a force for"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that the soaring rates of liability insurance are forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities.
C: Correct. The sentence formed by this answer choice uses the phrase "soaring rates for liability insurance", conveying the intended meaning - that the liability insurance rates,
themselves, are soaring. Moreover, Option C uses the phrase "are forcing" - conveying the intended meaning - that the soaring rates of liability insurance are
currently, practically, forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities.
D: The sentence formed by this answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "soaring rises in liability insurance rates"; the construction of this phrase illogically implies that the
rises in liability insurance rates are soaring - in other words that
the speeds at which the rates are rising are soaring; the intended meaning is that the liability insurance rates,
themselves, are soaring.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "have risen to force"; the construction of this phrase and the use of the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + force" in this sentence) illogically imply that the soaring rates of liability insurance
rose for the purpose of forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities; the intended meaning is that the soaring rates of liability insurance are
currently, practically, forcing cutbacks in the operations of everything from local governments and school districts to day-care centers and recreational facilities; remember, the infinitive verb form ("to + base form of verb" - "to + force" in this sentence) is the preferred construction for referring to the purpose/intent of an action.
Hence, C is the best answer choice.All the best!
Experts' Global Team
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