HOT Competition (Instagram): To supplement a vegetarian diet that cont

The non-underlined part of the sentence gives the biggest clue as to what we need to start the sentence with, “African elephants” or “the African elephant”? To be more precise, “into its mouth” hints that we need a singular “the African elephant”. Hence, we can safely eliminate A, B, and C.

A. African elephants often dig up earth to obtain salt and minerals and churn the ground with gigantic tusks, dislodging large pieces of soil into its mouth.

1. All the three actions, namely “dig up earth, churn the ground, and dislodge large pieces”, constitute one big action, namely “obtain salt and minerals”. This last one is the purpose from performing all first three. As written here, such connection is lost, and the conjunction “and” implies that “dig up earth” and “churn the mineral” are two independent, unrelated actions. Not the intended meaning.
2. “its mouth” disagreed with plural “African elephants”.


B. African elephants often dig up earth to obtain salt and minerals, and they churn the ground with gigantic tusks and dislodge large pieces of soil into its mouth.

1. All the three actions, namely “dig up earth, churn the ground, and dislodge large pieces”, constitute one big action, namely “obtain salt and minerals”. This last one is the purpose from performing all first three. As written here, such connection is lost, and the conjunction “and” implies that “dig up earth” and “churn the mineral” and “dislodge large pieces” are three independent, unrelated actions. Not the intended meaning.
2. “its mouth” disagreed with plural “African elephants”.


C. African elephants often obtain salt and minerals by digging up earth, churn the ground with their gigantic tusks, and dislodge large pieces of soil into its mouth.

1. All the three actions, namely “dig up earth, churn the ground, and dislodge large pieces”, constitute one big action, namely “obtain salt and minerals”. This last one is the purpose from performing all first three. As written here, such connection is lost, and the conjunction “and” implies that “obtain salt and minerals” and “churn the mineral” and “dislodge large pieces” are three independent, unrelated actions. Not the intended meaning.
2. “its mouth” disagreed with plural “African elephants”.


D. the African elephant often obtains salt and minerals by digging up earth, churning the ground with gigantic tusks and dislodging large pieces of soil into its mouth.

Bingo. The correct answer. The elephant obtains salt by doing A, B, and C. The intended meaning.


E. the African elephant often obtains salt and minerals by digging up earth, churns the ground with gigantic tusks, and it dislodges large pieces of soil into its mouth.

1. Non-parallel elements: the African elephant obtains, churns, and it dislodges. The last element is non-parallel.
2. All the three actions, namely “dig up earth, churn the ground, and dislodge large pieces”, constitute one big action, namely “obtain salt and minerals”. This last one is the purpose from performing all first three. As written here, such connection is lost, and the conjunction “and” implies that “obtain salt and minerals” and “churn the mineral” and “dislodge large pieces” are three independent, unrelated actions. Not the intended meaning.


Hence D

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