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20 Dec 2020, 00:58
Kudos
Bookmarks
D
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
30% (01:52) correct
70%
(01:43)
wrong
based on 334
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Revolutionary 3-D printers are evidence that far-fetched Star Trek ideas have become a reality, as users are allowed to create physical items from digital blueprints.
A) Revolutionary 3-D printers are evidence that far-fetched Star Trek ideas have become a reality, as users are allowed to create physical items from digital blueprints.
B) Revolutionary 3-D printers, which allow users to create physical items from digital blueprints, are evidence of far-fetched Star Trek ideas being a modern reality.
C) The idea that far-fetched Star Trek ideas have become a reality is supported by the invention of revolutionary 3-D printers, which allow users to create physical items from digital blueprints.
D) Proving that far-fetched Star Trek ideas have become a reality, revolutionary 3-D printers allow users to create physical items from digital blueprints.
E) As proof of far-fetched Star Trek ideas being a reality, revolu¬tionary 3-D printers allow users to create physical items from digital blueprints.
20 Dec 2020, 01:02
Kudos
Bookmarks
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
Diction and style.
I post this type of question because I want you to be ready for anything, including:
-- questions that are not amenable to using "splits"
-- questions that take you outside of the "grammar rule" comfort zone (you cannot possibly memorize every grammar rule and at some point must also train your eye to spot problems in diction and style), and
-- questions that require you to compare the choices. I want you to be accustomed to comparing two options and asking, "Which one is better than the other?" (Or, as someone at MGMAT put it: Which is better? Which is worse?)
THE OPTIONS
• users are allowed = weird logic and/or meaning
→ Are allowed? Were people were not allowed to use the technology before now?
→ who or what finally gave users permission to create physical items from digital blueprints?
• are evidence and are allowed: these two are passive forms of the verbs evidence and allow
(Yes, evidence can be a verb that means "prove.")
→ active voice is not always preferred to passive voice, but flag passive voice
KEEP, very tentatively
→ be slightly suspicious of being
→ meaning issue: being, which places us almost entirely in the present, does not mean the same thing that have become means.
Logically, have become is better than being.
Especially when we want to emphasize the result of something that just recently developed, we use present perfect (HAVE + past participle):
→ Compare:
The hospitals in Southern California have reached 100 percent capacity. No ICU beds are available.
The full hospitals in Southern California are evidence of capacity being at 100 percent. No ICU beds are available.
-- the second sentence is passive, wordier than necessary, and flabby.
• still, no hard grammar error exists
Options A and B are both bad but not necessarily ungrammatical.
KEEP, very tentatively
• is supported is the passive form of the verb support, a form that makes this already long sentence even more leaden
• strange meaning: whether fanciful ideas shown on Star Trek have become a reality is not really an idea but a fact.
That is, either the fanciful ideas have become a reality or they have not.
If so, we would talk about the fact that Star Trek ideas have become a reality (not the idea that they have become a reality).
If not, we would talk about the fact that Star Trek ideas have not become a reality (as opposed to the idea that they have not become a reality).
• the sentence has too many unnecessary words
→ for example, we do not need both "the invention of" and the which clause that explains what 3-D prints do.
In fact, we could easily omit the first phrase but not the second.
• at this point I think that options A, B, and C are equally bad.
KEEP, very tentatively
→ it is clear and concise
→ it uses a dynamic noun descriptor ("Proving that XYZ")
→ it uses an active verb: . . . 3-D printers allow . . .
• Do not be thrown by the fact that this option does not contain the word "evidence."
The option does not need to do so.
What is evidence? Proof!
"Proving" conveys the same logic that "evidence" does.
• Option D is better by far than options A, B, and C. Eliminate those three.
KEEP D
• Being in this option should be having become (or better yet, have become, but this option would not support that form of the verb)
This issue is the same as the issue in option B.
• Easiest (and fastest) line of analysis: is option E better than option D?
Nope. Not even close.
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is D.
NOTES
Takeaways:
• option A does not determine intended meaning.
The most grammatical, logical, and well-written sentence is the one with the intended meaning.
• On questions that are full of "mushy" (soft) details, stand back. You need a satellite's view.
And you need one other thing: to read in English every day.
SC is the easiest area to improve in, but not if you fail to read.
Human beings learn patterns. We learn patterns even when we are not looking for them.
Take 30 minutes away from TV, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, FB, YouTube, or whatever your app is.
Read.
COMMENTS
callmeDP , welcome to SC Butler.
Color me impressed!
THe analysis on this thread is incisive—even if on occasion it led to an incorrect answer.
Those of you who reasoned yourself to an incorrect answer nonetheless displayed solid critical thinking skills.
Those of you who reasoned yourself to the correct answer showed stellar analytical skills and the all-important flexible thinking.
Kudos to those with the correct answer. (As far as I can tell from the time-stamps, they came in before OA was revealed. On Saturdays, sometimes I choose 2 days before the OA is revealed.)
All are well explained. Nicely done.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
• Issues?
Diction and style.
I post this type of question because I want you to be ready for anything, including:
-- questions that are not amenable to using "splits"
-- questions that take you outside of the "grammar rule" comfort zone (you cannot possibly memorize every grammar rule and at some point must also train your eye to spot problems in diction and style), and
-- questions that require you to compare the choices. I want you to be accustomed to comparing two options and asking, "Which one is better than the other?" (Or, as someone at MGMAT put it: Which is better? Which is worse?)
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• users are allowed = weird logic and/or meaning
→ Are allowed? Were people were not allowed to use the technology before now?
→ who or what finally gave users permission to create physical items from digital blueprints?
• are evidence and are allowed: these two are passive forms of the verbs evidence and allow
(Yes, evidence can be a verb that means "prove.")
→ active voice is not always preferred to passive voice, but flag passive voice
KEEP, very tentatively
Quote:
• evidence of far-fetched Star Trek ideas being a modern reality is a convoluted train wreck.
→ be slightly suspicious of being
→ meaning issue: being, which places us almost entirely in the present, does not mean the same thing that have become means.
Logically, have become is better than being.
Especially when we want to emphasize the result of something that just recently developed, we use present perfect (HAVE + past participle):
→ Compare:
The hospitals in Southern California have reached 100 percent capacity. No ICU beds are available.
The full hospitals in Southern California are evidence of capacity being at 100 percent. No ICU beds are available.
-- the second sentence is passive, wordier than necessary, and flabby.
• still, no hard grammar error exists
Options A and B are both bad but not necessarily ungrammatical.
KEEP, very tentatively
Quote:
• is supported is the passive form of the verb support, a form that makes this already long sentence even more leaden
• strange meaning: whether fanciful ideas shown on Star Trek have become a reality is not really an idea but a fact.
That is, either the fanciful ideas have become a reality or they have not.
If so, we would talk about the fact that Star Trek ideas have become a reality (not the idea that they have become a reality).
If not, we would talk about the fact that Star Trek ideas have not become a reality (as opposed to the idea that they have not become a reality).
• the sentence has too many unnecessary words
→ for example, we do not need both "the invention of" and the which clause that explains what 3-D prints do.
In fact, we could easily omit the first phrase but not the second.
• at this point I think that options A, B, and C are equally bad.
KEEP, very tentatively
Quote:
• Boom. This sentence is so much better than the preceding three options
→ it is clear and concise
→ it uses a dynamic noun descriptor ("Proving that XYZ")
→ it uses an active verb: . . . 3-D printers allow . . .
• Do not be thrown by the fact that this option does not contain the word "evidence."
The option does not need to do so.
What is evidence? Proof!
"Proving" conveys the same logic that "evidence" does.
• Option D is better by far than options A, B, and C. Eliminate those three.
KEEP D
Quote:
• As proof of far-fetched Star Trek ideas being a reality is yet another convoluted phrase.
• Being in this option should be having become (or better yet, have become, but this option would not support that form of the verb)
This issue is the same as the issue in option B.
• Easiest (and fastest) line of analysis: is option E better than option D?
Nope. Not even close.
ELIMINATE E
The best answer is D.
NOTES
Takeaways:
• option A does not determine intended meaning.
The most grammatical, logical, and well-written sentence is the one with the intended meaning.
• On questions that are full of "mushy" (soft) details, stand back. You need a satellite's view.
And you need one other thing: to read in English every day.
SC is the easiest area to improve in, but not if you fail to read.
Human beings learn patterns. We learn patterns even when we are not looking for them.
Take 30 minutes away from TV, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, FB, YouTube, or whatever your app is.
Read.
COMMENTS
callmeDP , welcome to SC Butler.
Color me impressed!
THe analysis on this thread is incisive—even if on occasion it led to an incorrect answer.
Those of you who reasoned yourself to an incorrect answer nonetheless displayed solid critical thinking skills.
Those of you who reasoned yourself to the correct answer showed stellar analytical skills and the all-important flexible thinking.
Kudos to those with the correct answer. (As far as I can tell from the time-stamps, they came in before OA was revealed. On Saturdays, sometimes I choose 2 days before the OA is revealed.)
All are well explained. Nicely done.
20 Dec 2020, 02:09
Kudos
Bookmarks
My answer is (D). It took me 59 seconds.
(A) I took issue with ", as users are allowed to create physical items from digital blueprints"
1. Typically, we use comma when subordinate clause is before the main clause, but we do not use comma when subordinate clause is after the main clause.
2. "As" can introduce a clause for time or for reason. In strictly clear writing, avoid "as" but use "when" or "because" as appropriate.
(B) "being a modern reality" is awkward. Also, if there is a choice, prefer verb (prove) to noun (evidence).
(C) Prefer active voice to passive voice (is supported)
(D) Nothing wrong with this version. No passive voice. "Prove" is used as opposed to noun ("evidence").
(E) "being a reality" is awkward.
(A) I took issue with ", as users are allowed to create physical items from digital blueprints"
1. Typically, we use comma when subordinate clause is before the main clause, but we do not use comma when subordinate clause is after the main clause.
2. "As" can introduce a clause for time or for reason. In strictly clear writing, avoid "as" but use "when" or "because" as appropriate.
(B) "being a modern reality" is awkward. Also, if there is a choice, prefer verb (prove) to noun (evidence).
(C) Prefer active voice to passive voice (is supported)
(D) Nothing wrong with this version. No passive voice. "Prove" is used as opposed to noun ("evidence").
(E) "being a reality" is awkward.
