OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPTQuote:
Since the environmental consequences of engineered genes escaping into the wild are not very clear, the odds of such escapes actually happening can often be evaluated.
• Meaning?
→ The sentence sets up a contrast between two things: the environmental consequences of engineered genes escaping into the wild, which are difficult to evaluate, and the odds of such escapes actually happening, which can be evaluated.
THE OPTIONSQuote:
A) Since the environmental consequences of engineered genes escaping into the wild are not very clear,
• Meaning error - we need contrast.
The word
since in this context means
because and does not provide logical contrast.
• Illogical
The odds of escapes happening can be evaluated, but not
because the environmental consequences of escaped genes is hard to evaluate.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
B) The environmental consequences of engineered genes escaping into the wild are not very clear, but
• This one seems correct.
→ the word
but provides the contrast needed
→ I do not see any errors.
KEEP
Quote:
C) While the environmental consequences of engineered genes that had escaped into the wild are not very clear,
• verb tense error
→
had escaped is past perfect, the "past of the past."
Almost always, in order to talk about the earlier of two past events by using past perfect, we need to see at least one past event that happened: a simple past tense verb, a time stamp, or another context that makes it clear that one event preceded the other.
The sentence is talking about a general truth, in which case present tense should be used.
ELIMINATE C
• The word
while Quote:
D) The environmental consequences of engineered genes that have escaped into the wild are not very clear, and
• no contrast word or phrase
→ The use of
and fails to bring out the contrast inherent in the sentence.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
E) Despite the environmental consequences of engineered genes escaping into the wild not being very clear,
• Barely grammatical. The prose is stiltled.
→ the long noun phrase beginning with
Despite makes this sentence labored.
Compare option E to option B: no contest. Option B is more concise: it says the same thing as E does but uses fewer words.
→ don't worry too much about
being. The word is usually part of an incorrect answer, but not always.
Being here is used correctly, but the sentence has other errors.
ELIMINATE E
COMMENTSYou've done well, everyone.
Nice work.