Dear Friends,
Here is a detailed explanation to this question-
goalsnr wrote:
Responding to the public’s fascination with―and sometimes undue alarm over―possible threats from asteroids, a scale developed by astronomers rates the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet may collide with Earth.
(A) a scale developed by astronomers rates the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet may
(B) a scale that astronomers have developed rates how likely it is for a particular asteroid or comet to
(C) astronomers have developed a scale to rate how likely a particular asteroid or comet will be to
(D) astronomers have developed a scale for rating the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet will
(E) astronomers have developed a scale that rates the likelihood of a particular asteroid or comet that may
Meaning is crucial to solving this problem:Understanding the intended meaning is key to solving this question; the intended meaning of this sentence is that astronomers have responded to the public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids by developing a scale for rating the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet will collide with Earth.
Concepts tested here: Meaning + Modifiers + Tenses + Awkwardness/Redundancy• In a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun; this is one of the most frequently tested concepts on GMAT sentence correction.
• Information that is permanent in nature is best conveyed through the simple present tense.
• The simple future tense is used to refer to actions that will take place in the future.
A: This answer choice incorrectly uses "Responding to...asteroids" to modify "a scale", illogically implying that the scale responded to the public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids; the intended meaning is that astronomers responded to public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids; please remember, in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun. Further, Option A redundantly uses "may" alongside "likelihood", leading to awkwardness and redundancy; the usage is redundant, as both terms convey a sense of uncertainty.
B: This answer choice incorrectly uses "Responding to...asteroids" to modify "a scale", illogically implying that the scale responded to the public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids; the intended meaning is that astronomers responded to public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids; please remember, in a “phrase + comma + noun” construction, the phrase must correctly modify the noun. Further, Option B uses the needlessly wordy phrases "that astronomers have developed" and "how likely it is for", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
C: This answer choice incorrectly uses the simple future tense verb phrase "how likely...will be" to refer to information that is permanent in nature; please remember, information that is permanent in nature is best conveyed through the simple present tense, and the simple future tense is used to refer to actions that will take place in the future. Further, Option C uses the needlessly wordy phrase "how likely a particular asteroid or comet will be", leading to awkwardness and redundancy.
D: Correct. This answer choice correctly uses "Responding to...asteroids" to modify "astronomers" and uses the phrase "the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet will" - conveying the intended meaning - that astronomers have responded to the public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids by developing a scale for rating the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet will collide with Earth. Further, Option D avoids the tense error seen in Option C, as it uses the noun phrase "the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet will" rather than an active verb phrase. Additionally, Option D is free of any awkwardness or redundancy.
E: This answer choice alters the meaning of the sentence through the phrase "the likelihood of a particular asteroid or comet that may"; the construction of this phrase leads to an incoherent meaning; the intended meaning is that astronomers have responded to the public’s fascination with possible threats from asteroids by developing a scale for rating the likelihood that a particular asteroid or comet will collide with Earth.
Hence, D is the best answer choice.To understand the concept of "Phrase Comma Subject" and "Subject Comma Phrase" on GMAT, you may want to watch the following video (~1minute):
All the best!
Experts' Global Team