An important stylistic element in Dostoevsky’s novels is polyphony

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION




We have some understandable confusion about a few issues.

Do not worry if you felt confused.
Some of what you have read or been taught is simply not correct.
For example, the word whose can apply to persons, animals, inanimate objects.

I try to clear up the confusion in Notes, below.

Meaning?
One important stylistic element in Dostoevsky's novels is something called "polyphony."
Polyphony is the simultaneous presence of multiple narrative voices and perspectives

• Split #1: subject-verb agreement

Whenever you see a verb split in the answer choices, check the prompt again and ascertain that you know what the subject is, keeping in mind that GMAC writers might have thrown "bamboozle words" into the mix.

The subject of the sentence is an important stylistic element [in Dostoevsky's writing].
An element is singular and requires the singular verb IS, not are
Options B and E incorrectly use are.

Pay attention to the last non-underlined portion! (You would be amazed at how many people do not "see" this part.)
Option C's different subject-verb error comes in the whose clause:

The subject of that clause is the singular noun presence, which should not be paired with the plural were
A really long prepositional phrase follows the subject: of multiple narrative voices and perspectives.

Eliminate B, C and E

[Sidebar: Just for the record, in option E we have postmodern obscurantism on fine display.]

• split #2 - modifiers, babble

The phrase first identified by the critic M. M. Bakhtin is a noun modifier.
What was first identified by the critic? A thing. A noun.
The phrase first identified by the critic M. M. Bakhtin cannot modify an adverb, i.e. simultaneously.

The sentence in option D is a disaster.
Option D just sticks words in front of the (non-underlined) first identified by the critic...
Plugged into the sentence, option D makes no sense It is babble.
Wrong: An important stylistic element in Dostoevsky’s novels is polyphony, in which multiple narrative voices and perspectives are present simultaneously first identified by the critic M. M. Bakhtin.

Eliminate D.

The best answer is A
The answer is A, which correctly provides a singular verb and uses an appositive after the comma to define the word polyphony.

NOTES

WHOSE
In English, it is true that who can refer only to persons while that can refer only to non-persons.
But we have only one word for the possessive form for persons and inanimate objects.
That word is whose.

The word whose refers to both
(1) persons ("Whose cost is this?") and
(2) non-persons and inanimate things: San Francisco is a city whose fog makes it famous.

APPOSITIVES
An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or re-describes another noun right beside it.
In option A, for example, the absolute phrase re-describes "polyphony," [which is] i]the simultaneous presence of multiple narrative voices and perspectives first identified by the critic M. M. Bakhtin.[/i]

Options A and E use appositives to describe polyphony.
Suppose that you were having a hard time figuring out what the second part of options A and E were.
-- Well, poly means many ("polygon") and phony means "having to do with sound or human speech." (symphony)
-- The words that follow polyphony in options A and E are appositive modifiers of polyphony.

jrk23, you wrote


In option C, whose refers to polyphony.
First, why do you think that option C is correct?
It would help me to have your perspective.

You can use "in which" to describe polyphony.

I explained above that option C suffers from subject-verb disagreement.
In the second part of the sentence, the singular presence should not be coupled with the plural verb were.

COMMENTS

This question is not easy.
The responses will help others, who will have had similar issues.

Kudos go to good explanations.