The Adirondack mountains, unlike other mountain ranges that lie on fau

A) in due is wrong because we need to provide evidence
B) which refers to Earth
c) Correct
D) change in meaning
E) being is problematic

Can someone please explain why option D is incorrect?
Isn't due to synonymous with caused by?

Experts can correct me. AndrewN IanStewart

Imo “due to” is only used when preceded by a noun. Eg - “traffic jam is due to heavy rains”. “Due to “ provides the causality for that noun / noun phrase

In the above sentence, we have a whole clause preceding “due to” ie “mountains <<modifier>> are..” and as such usage of due to would be incorrect.

Because of is usually used when preceded by a verb or clause and is the appropriate usage here.

Posted from my mobile device

I am more fond of applying rules and conventions than I am doling them out. I typically refer readers to this excellent e-GMAT article on the topic. In short, due to is used to modify a noun, while because of is used to modify verbs or comment on/explain an entire clause. Here, we are looking for a grammatically correct way to explain why the Adirondacks are in the shape of a dome, so because of is appropriate.

I hope that helps. Happy reading.

- Andrew

You don't need to consider the difference between "because of" and "due to" (which are different parts of speech, as Andrew points out above) to rule out D. Answer D is just random words strung together; I have no idea what the word "course" could mean in the phrase "due to the course from a deep uplift". It seems the question is partly testing the idiom "in due course", an informal cliché I'd never expect to see in an official question (even in a wrong answer), and because that phrase appears in answer A, the question writer decided to nonsensically throw the word "course" into another answer choice.

Even the "right" answer here isn't right. For the "which occurred" at the end to refer correctly to the "uplift" there should not be a comma separating the two. With the comma there, "which occurred..." describes "The Adirondack mountains", which makes no sense. I'm not sure of the source, but I'd just ignore this question.

A. in due course from a deep uplift under the Earth’s crust -- "in due course from". Keep this because I don't know how to eliminate this. But prima facie, "in due course from" just looks wordy and poor. Eliminate after review of C, which is much better.

B. because of a deep uplifting of the crust of the Earth, which occurred -- "which" incorrectly modifies Earth. Eliminate.

C. because of a deep uplift, which occurred under the crust of the Earth -- Keep for now. Correct after review of C and A.

D. due to the course from a deep uplift under the Earth’s crust -- "course from a". Worst. Eliminate.

E. being caused by a deep uplift under the crust of the Earth, occurring -- "being". It is done. Its not a process in motion. Eliminate.

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