Skywalker18 wrote:
The African Maasai have adopted the Living Wall project in their bid to save their livestock from attacks by predators; the
natural fences built of myrrh trees have been designed to prevent the attacks, and they do.A. natural fences built of myrrh trees have been designed to prevent the attacks, and they do
B. natural fences have been built of myrrh trees, designed to prevent the attacks, and they have been
C. natural fences built of myrrh trees are designed for preventing the attacks, and have
D. naturally built fences of myrrh trees have been designed for preventing the attacks, and it is
E. naturally built fences of myrrh trees are being designed to prevent the attacks, and they do
A gorgeous question with a few points of attack. Let's analyze.
A. natural fences built of myrrh trees have been designed to prevent the attacks, and they do
Can't figure out what is wrong with this sentence. Let's move on to other answer choice to get more context as to what could be wrong. B. natural fences have been built of myrrh trees, designed to prevent the attacks, and they have been
Verb tense "have been" seemingly implies that they were built, and still exist. This verb tense agrees with that of the first sentence. A subordinate clause "Designed to prevent attacks" modifies the noun just before it, but we know that myrrh trees weren't designed, but rather natural fences were. Normally, we can eliminate a subordinate clause to understand the true meaning and if we do so here, it reads "natural fences have been built of myrrh trees, designed to prevent the attacks, and they have been." This reads, "Fences have been built, and they have been." Eliminate B.C. natural fences built of myrrh trees are designed for preventing the attacks, and have
Verb tense here implies that myrrh trees are now designed for preventing the attacks, but they should have, at least been started, to have been designed in the past. Let's simplify the sentence. "Natural fences built of myrrh trees are designed for preventing the attacks, and have." Have what? Eliminate C.
D. naturally built fences of myrrh trees have been designed for preventing the attacks, and it is
Naturally built seems to throw off the meaning here. The fences were naturally built? Does that mean that these fences, through nature, were designed to prevent attacks? I don't think so. In fact, the previous sentence implies that the Maasai have designed these fences. Let's simplify D. "Naturally built fences of myrrh trees have been designed for preventing the attacks, and it is." Fences doesn't agree with "it." Eliminate D.E. naturally built fences of myrrh trees are being designed to prevent the attacks, and they do
The verb tense here shows us that the fences are being designed today and now, while the first sentence implies that these were first designed in the past. Eliminate E.Revisiting A, "have been designed" shows that, just as in the first sentence, the Maasai started the project in the past, which effects or conditions still exist today, just as the fences were built in the past, and they still exist today. Moreover, "they do" clearly follows the meaning that fences built to prevent attacks even today. A seems to be the best answer.