Quote:
Recently, evidence was found near Lake Baringo in Kenya that may have been the earliest known use of fire by ancestors of Homo sapiens.
(A) Recently, evidence was found near Lake Baringo in Kenya that may have been
(B) Recently found near Lake Baringo in Kenya was evidence of what may be
(C)Evidence that was recently found near Lake Baringo in Kenya may have been
(D)Near Lake Baringo in Kenya, evidence was recently found that may be
(E)Found recently near Lake Baringo in Kenya is evidence that may be what was
The phrase 'may have been' suggests that the factor is no more extant and is of past occurrence. If you think that the factor is still relevant, then you have to say 'what may be" That is the reason A and C are out. By the same reckoning, we can dump E also.
The flipped B sentence will be:
The original: Recently found near Lake Baringo in Kenya was evidence of what may be the earliest known use of fire by ancestors of Homo sapiens.
The flipped: Recently, evidence of what may be the earliest known use of fire by ancestors of Homo sapiens was found near Lake Baringo in Kenya
In the case of D, 'that' is used as a subordinate conjunction and not as a relative pronoun. When 'that' is used as a conjunction, it must be duly followed by a subjected clause. The correct D sentence will be: Near Lake Baringo in Kenya, evidence was recently found that it (the evidence) may be the earliest known use of fire by ancestors of Homo sapiens. As such D is incomplete.
B is correct