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20 Feb 2022, 00:58
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A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
45%
(medium)
Question Stats:
62% (02:05) correct
38%
(02:09)
wrong
based on 297
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Spending enormous amounts out of the French treasury, Catherine de Medici sponsored the construction of numerous edifices and statues during her reign, influenced by the historic buildings of her native Italy and by her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II.
A) the historic buildings of her native Italy and by her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II
B) the historic buildings of her native Italy and admiring the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelling the need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II
C) the historic buildings of her native Italy, her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II
D) the building of her historic native Italy and her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II
E) the building of her historic native Italy and admiring the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelling need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II
20 Feb 2022, 01:01
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Catherine de Medici sponsored X, influenced by A and by B, and propelled by C.
• Takeaways
→ Understand what the words historic and edifice mean.
Look them up. I have seen both words used in official questions.
Occasionally you will be tested on usage, vocabulary, or vocabulary in context (or all three). Among other things, this question tests whether you understand the meaning of historic (which should not be mistaken for historical) and edifice.
Historic, usage: historic is almost always used to describe things or events that are famous, celebrated, groundbreaking, and memorable—not whole countries.
These examples are taken from Cambridge Dictionary, here.
→ How many historic buildings are damaged by fire each year?
→ Parts of the Berlin wall are being allowed to stand as historic monuments.
→ The coronation of a new king is, of course, a historic occasion.
"Her historic Italy" in options D and E makes almost no sense on its own (i.e., as a phrase to a native speaker's ear) and makes even less sense in context.
This sentence focuses on "construction of edifices and statues."
An edifice is a building (or an abstract structure, such as that of a belief system or ideology, but that secondary definition is not sensible in the context of this sentence).
Catherine de Medici funded the construction of buildings and statues. Her construction projects were influenced in part by the historic (memorable) buildings of her native country, Italy: buildings such as Pitti palace and Uffizi palaces in Florence.
The architecture she loved and by which she was influenced was not the entire country of Italy, as is suggested in options D and E.
The architecture she loved and by which she was influenced took material form in impressive and beautiful buildings located in Italy and France.
→ learn to trust yourself to spot nonsensical meaning in phrases that may be worded very simply.
The building of her historic native Italy in options D and E is an absurd phrase.
If you read a phrase and you feel confused (or, especially if you are a native speaker, the phrase sounds weird), stop. Re-read. You may well be looking at nonsensical phrases, such as "the building of her historic native Italy."
How could a woman engaged in architectural and artistic construction be influenced by the entire and complex "building of" a whole country over its long history?
As she was commissioning physical structures, this woman was not influenced by the process in which human beings create a nation over centuries or millennia. No mere mortal can observe, let alone be influenced by, the whole of a country's history.
She was influenced by the design of physical structures that were located in her native country, Italy.
PRINCETON REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Option A
This sentence is correct as written.
The sentence includes a list stating that the construction projects were influenced by and propelled by certain factors in Catherine de Medici's life.
This list is parallel, because the verb forms (influenced by and propelled by) are congruent.
There is also a sub-list, following influenced by, consisting of the historic buildings and her admiration. This sub-list is also parallel, because the two items are both expressed as noun forms.
Since there is no error in the original sentence, and the sentence contains lists, check the remaining answer choices to determine whether any contain errors of parallel construction.
Option B
Choice B [incorrectly pairs] the phrase the historic buildings... and admiring. Here, one item in the sub-list has a noun form while the other has a verb form.
Furthermore, the original propelled by has become propelling, which no longer matches influenced by. This choice is not parallel, so . . .
Eliminate Choice B.
Option C
Choice C violates parallelism by the omission of the word and in the sub-list.
This omission erroneously merges the list expressed between the two verbs influenced by and propelled by with the sub-list expressed by the two noun forms the historic buildings and her admiration.
The resulting sentence is not parallel. It is also confusing.
Eliminate Choice C. (If you are not sure, keep option C tentatively but compare at the end to option A. The latter is much cleaner and clearer.)
Options D and E
Choice D and Choice E both replace the original phrase the historic buildings of her native Italy with the building of her historic native Italy, [a replacement that] confuses the sense of the sentence, shifting the meaning from talking about the buildings (individual structures) of Italy to the building (construction) of Italy.
Choice E also repeats the error found in Choice B, changing propelled by to propelling.
Eliminate Choice D and Choice E.
Choice A: Correct.
Choice B: The list the historic buildings...and admiring is not parallel, and propelling does not match inspired by.
Choice C: This answer erroneously merges the list expressed between the two verbs influenced by and propelled by with the sub-list expressed by the two noun forms the historic buildings and her admiration.
Choice D: The original phrase the historic buildings of her native Italy is replaced with the building of her historic native Italy, which confuses the meaning and renders the items on the list no longer parallel.
Choice E: The original phrase the historic buildings of her native Italy is replaced with the building of her historic native Italy which confuses the meaning. Additionally, propelling is not parallel with inspired by.
COMMENTS
kungfury42 , please see my "Takeaways," above, located just beneath the quote box around the prompt and answer choices. I address much of what I think drove your questions there. In addition, see my responses below to your questions about option D. My text is blue typeface:
Your numbers 1 and 3 are very strong and well reasoned.
I got a little confused by 2: were you asking a question or asserting something? If the latter, use a "regular" (declarative) sentence instead of a question. I treated what you wrote as a question. (There aren't two alternatives—a noun or a verb—in this case. An ____ING word is never a true verb.
In jargon, ___ING words are called "verbals." They can be nouns or adjectives with verb-like qualities.)
The rule to which your number 4 refers is taught frequently but not always accurately; I am glad that you have your eyes on the lookout, but in this case, the missing preposition is not fatal.
Overall, your analysis is thoughtful and thorough.
All of the posters did good work here.
Quote:
• Structure
Catherine de Medici sponsored X, influenced by A and by B, and propelled by C.
• Takeaways
→ Understand what the words historic and edifice mean.
Look them up. I have seen both words used in official questions.
Occasionally you will be tested on usage, vocabulary, or vocabulary in context (or all three). Among other things, this question tests whether you understand the meaning of historic (which should not be mistaken for historical) and edifice.
Historic, usage: historic is almost always used to describe things or events that are famous, celebrated, groundbreaking, and memorable—not whole countries.
These examples are taken from Cambridge Dictionary, here.
→ How many historic buildings are damaged by fire each year?
→ Parts of the Berlin wall are being allowed to stand as historic monuments.
→ The coronation of a new king is, of course, a historic occasion.
"Her historic Italy" in options D and E makes almost no sense on its own (i.e., as a phrase to a native speaker's ear) and makes even less sense in context.
This sentence focuses on "construction of edifices and statues."
An edifice is a building (or an abstract structure, such as that of a belief system or ideology, but that secondary definition is not sensible in the context of this sentence).
Catherine de Medici funded the construction of buildings and statues. Her construction projects were influenced in part by the historic (memorable) buildings of her native country, Italy: buildings such as Pitti palace and Uffizi palaces in Florence.
The architecture she loved and by which she was influenced was not the entire country of Italy, as is suggested in options D and E.
The architecture she loved and by which she was influenced took material form in impressive and beautiful buildings located in Italy and France.
→ learn to trust yourself to spot nonsensical meaning in phrases that may be worded very simply.
The building of her historic native Italy in options D and E is an absurd phrase.
If you read a phrase and you feel confused (or, especially if you are a native speaker, the phrase sounds weird), stop. Re-read. You may well be looking at nonsensical phrases, such as "the building of her historic native Italy."
How could a woman engaged in architectural and artistic construction be influenced by the entire and complex "building of" a whole country over its long history?
As she was commissioning physical structures, this woman was not influenced by the process in which human beings create a nation over centuries or millennia. No mere mortal can observe, let alone be influenced by, the whole of a country's history.
She was influenced by the design of physical structures that were located in her native country, Italy.
PRINCETON REVIEW OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Option A
This sentence is correct as written.
The sentence includes a list stating that the construction projects were influenced by and propelled by certain factors in Catherine de Medici's life.
This list is parallel, because the verb forms (influenced by and propelled by) are congruent.
There is also a sub-list, following influenced by, consisting of the historic buildings and her admiration. This sub-list is also parallel, because the two items are both expressed as noun forms.
Since there is no error in the original sentence, and the sentence contains lists, check the remaining answer choices to determine whether any contain errors of parallel construction.
Option B
Choice B [incorrectly pairs] the phrase the historic buildings... and admiring. Here, one item in the sub-list has a noun form while the other has a verb form.
Furthermore, the original propelled by has become propelling, which no longer matches influenced by. This choice is not parallel, so . . .
Eliminate Choice B.
Option C
Choice C violates parallelism by the omission of the word and in the sub-list.
This omission erroneously merges the list expressed between the two verbs influenced by and propelled by with the sub-list expressed by the two noun forms the historic buildings and her admiration.
The resulting sentence is not parallel. It is also confusing.
Eliminate Choice C. (If you are not sure, keep option C tentatively but compare at the end to option A. The latter is much cleaner and clearer.)
Options D and E
Choice D and Choice E both replace the original phrase the historic buildings of her native Italy with the building of her historic native Italy, [a replacement that] confuses the sense of the sentence, shifting the meaning from talking about the buildings (individual structures) of Italy to the building (construction) of Italy.
Choice E also repeats the error found in Choice B, changing propelled by to propelling.
Eliminate Choice D and Choice E.
Choice A: Correct.
Choice B: The list the historic buildings...and admiring is not parallel, and propelling does not match inspired by.
Choice C: This answer erroneously merges the list expressed between the two verbs influenced by and propelled by with the sub-list expressed by the two noun forms the historic buildings and her admiration.
Choice D: The original phrase the historic buildings of her native Italy is replaced with the building of her historic native Italy, which confuses the meaning and renders the items on the list no longer parallel.
Choice E: The original phrase the historic buildings of her native Italy is replaced with the building of her historic native Italy which confuses the meaning. Additionally, propelling is not parallel with inspired by.
COMMENTS
kungfury42 , please see my "Takeaways," above, located just beneath the quote box around the prompt and answer choices. I address much of what I think drove your questions there. In addition, see my responses below to your questions about option D. My text is blue typeface:
Quote:
Quote:
Well, I evaluated your POE for option D. (I cannot always accommodate such requests.)
Your numbers 1 and 3 are very strong and well reasoned.
I got a little confused by 2: were you asking a question or asserting something? If the latter, use a "regular" (declarative) sentence instead of a question. I treated what you wrote as a question. (There aren't two alternatives—a noun or a verb—in this case. An ____ING word is never a true verb.
In jargon, ___ING words are called "verbals." They can be nouns or adjectives with verb-like qualities.)
The rule to which your number 4 refers is taught frequently but not always accurately; I am glad that you have your eyes on the lookout, but in this case, the missing preposition is not fatal.
Overall, your analysis is thoughtful and thorough.
All of the posters did good work here.
20 Feb 2022, 04:48
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Spending enormous amounts out of the French treasury, Catherine de Medici sponsored the construction of numerous edifices and statues during her reign, influenced by the historic buildings of her native Italy and by her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II.
A) the historic buildings of her native Italy and by her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> There are two parallelism to be watched out. 1) "By historic buildings.." and "by her admiration...." are parallel. 2) Sponsored, influenced and propelled are parallel too. Let's keep it.
B) the historic buildings of her native Italy and admiring the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelling the need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> Sponsored, influenced and propelling are not parallel. Incorrect.
C) the historic buildings of her native Italy, her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> We have a conjunction between "By historic buildings.." and "her admiration...." Incorrect.
D) the building of her historic native Italy and her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> What do we want to say, "the historic buildings of her native Italy" or "the building of her historic native Italy". Incorrect.
E) the building of her historic native Italy and admiring the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelling need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> Same error as B and D. Incorrect.
So, I think A.
A) the historic buildings of her native Italy and by her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> There are two parallelism to be watched out. 1) "By historic buildings.." and "by her admiration...." are parallel. 2) Sponsored, influenced and propelled are parallel too. Let's keep it.
B) the historic buildings of her native Italy and admiring the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelling the need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> Sponsored, influenced and propelling are not parallel. Incorrect.
C) the historic buildings of her native Italy, her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> We have a conjunction between "By historic buildings.." and "her admiration...." Incorrect.
D) the building of her historic native Italy and her admiration for the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelled by a need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> What do we want to say, "the historic buildings of her native Italy" or "the building of her historic native Italy". Incorrect.
E) the building of her historic native Italy and admiring the architectural patronage of her father-in-law, and propelling need to commemorate her deceased husband, Henry II -> Same error as B and D. Incorrect.
So, I think A.
kungfury42
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20 Feb 2022, 13:13
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The correct sentence structure should be "influenced by X and by Y, and propelled by Z" where X and Y are parallel.
(A) Perfect!!
(B) Admiring and Propelling, incorrect.
(C) The comma instead of and between "historic buildings" and "admiration for architectural patronage" gives it a list structure, however, the third element "propelled by a need to commemorate" doesn't fit the list.
"Influenced by propelled by a need to commemorate" doesn't make any sense.
(D) I think there are lots of errors in D.
1. The term historic is an incorrect usage in the given context. If we say that Rome was historic it places more emphasis on the city of Rome in general and less on the buildings of Rome (which are of main contention in the given context)
2. Is the term "building" a noun here or a verb? Do I want to say that the author was influenced by the building (process of construction) of Rome or by the building (a concrete structure where people live) of Rome?
3. Even if I assume it's the latter, shouldn't it be plural - Buildings? If I just say building, which particular building is it that the author is influenced by?
4. There is a missing "by" before her admiration.
(E) Same errors as in B and D combined.
Some doubts:
I would really appreciate if someone can evaluate my POE for option D above and help point out if there are any mistakes.
Posted from my mobile device
(A) Perfect!!
(B) Admiring and Propelling, incorrect.
(C) The comma instead of and between "historic buildings" and "admiration for architectural patronage" gives it a list structure, however, the third element "propelled by a need to commemorate" doesn't fit the list.
"Influenced by propelled by a need to commemorate" doesn't make any sense.
(D) I think there are lots of errors in D.
1. The term historic is an incorrect usage in the given context. If we say that Rome was historic it places more emphasis on the city of Rome in general and less on the buildings of Rome (which are of main contention in the given context)
2. Is the term "building" a noun here or a verb? Do I want to say that the author was influenced by the building (process of construction) of Rome or by the building (a concrete structure where people live) of Rome?
3. Even if I assume it's the latter, shouldn't it be plural - Buildings? If I just say building, which particular building is it that the author is influenced by?
4. There is a missing "by" before her admiration.
(E) Same errors as in B and D combined.
Some doubts:
I would really appreciate if someone can evaluate my POE for option D above and help point out if there are any mistakes.
Posted from my mobile device
