OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPTQuote:
In an effort to understand climate change and rising sea levels, scientists studied and researched samples of coral and discovered that the ocean level rose by an increase of 46 to 60 feet 14,650 years ago.
• Meaning?
In order to understand the relationship between climate change and rising sea levels, scientists studied samples of coral and discovered that 14,650 years ago, the ocean's water level increased by 46 to 60 feet.
• Concepts tested
→
misplaced modifiersWho wants to understand the relationship between climate change and rising sea levels?
-- Scientists. People are nouns. The introductory phrase is a noun modifier.
-- Under the Modifier "Touch" Rule, a modifier must be as close as possible to the noun that it modifies.
-- In other words, right after we read about "In an effort to understand," we should be reading about
who is trying to understand.
-- This intro phrase is called a "prepositional phrase."
Prepositional phrases are among the most versatile of modifiers. (See
my post, here about how six types of intro phrases work).
→ redundancy
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) scientists studied and researched samples of coral and discovered that the ocean level rose by an increase of 46 to 60 feet 14,650 years ago.
•
studied and
researched are redundant
•
rose and
increase are redundant; both indicate upward movement
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
B) scientists studied samples of coral and discovered that the ocean level increased 46 to 60 feet 14,650 years ago.
• I see no errors
• the phrase
increased 46 to 60 feet may sound strange or abrupt, but it is correct.
→ we can say that something increased XYZ feet or that something increased
by XYZ feet. The latter is more common, but both phrases are standard.
KEEP
Quote:
C) scientists studied coral samples, discovering that the growth of the ocean level went up 46 to 60 feet 14,650 years ago.
•
the growth of the ocean level went up is redundant
Both
went up and
growth indicate an upward movement
• nothing is wrong with "discovering."
→ present participles (verbINGs) can be used to modify the entire preceding clause or the subject of that clause
". . . discovering that the growth of the ocean level . . . " modifies or refers either to the scientists or to what happened when scientists studied coral samples.
→ although these modifiers are often a result of the previous clause, the modifiers are not required to be a result.
In this case, the "discovering . . . " modifier
is a "result" of the previous clause, albeit in a casual way.
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
D) scientists studied samples of coral, thereby discovering the rise of the ocean level by an increased 46 to 60 feet 14,650 years ago.
• rise and increased are redundant; as in option C, both words express an upward movement
• this "discovering" modifier is just as acceptable as the one in option C
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
E) samples of coral were studied and researched by scientists, who discovered that the ocean level rose by 46 to 60 more feet 14,650 years ago.
•
Samples were not on a quest to understand climate change and rising ocean levels—we have a misplaced modifier
•
studied and
researched are redundant
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is B.COMMENTSKrissyB , I agree with you that the absence of "by" in option B sounds strange.
As I explained above, the usage is option B is both acceptable and less common than "increase by."
Alternatively, we can do exactly as you did: eliminate the worst four answers and accept the least bad answer. In this case, the latter is (B).
These answers are really good.
Your lucky peers who follow and read these posts will be (or should be) grateful.
Nicely done.