Bunuel
The first two albums released by the Isley Brothers, an African-American musical group, pictured white people on their covers, because record executives assumed that white consumers would not purchase albums with pictures of African-American artists on them.
A. The first two albums released by the Isley Brothers, an African-American musical group, pictured white people on their covers
This answer is the best of the five. I take issue with commas that set off "an African-American musical group."
That said, (A) does not exhibit the same errors as those in the other choices.B. The Isley Brothers` first two
albums, an African-American
musical group, pictured white people on their covers
Misplaced modifier:
A plastic record album cannot be an African-American musical group composed of people.C. An African-American
musical group, the
first two albums released by the Isley Brothers pictured white people on their covers
Misplaced modifier:
As in option B, just reversed: A musical group [of persons] cannot be "the first two [plastic] albums."D. The first two albums released by the Isley Brothers, an African-American musical group
who pictured white people on their covers
The relative clause that begins with "who" creates a sentence fragment.
The subject is albums. It has no verb.E. The first two albums released by African-American musical group the Isley Brothers
were picturing white people on their covers
Past progressive is incorrect for discrete events.
The verb phrase is also placed in a misleading way. See below. .
Split #1: Misplaced modifiersOption B: The modifier makes it seem as if the first two records were a musical group.
The first two albums most definitely were not an African-American musical group.
Albums are records, CDs, things -- not people.
Option C: A group of persons cannot be two plastic round things [record albums]
"African-American musical group" seems to refer to "the first two albums."
C is the (still mistaken) reverse of B.
Eliminate B and C
Split #2: Incomplete sentenceOption D is an incomplete sentence.
The "who" clause has no action verb
D:
The first two albums released by the Isley Brothers, an African-American musical group who pictured white people on their covers
because executives assumed [something about what white people would buy]. Verb?
ALBUMS is the subject. NO VERB.
Eliminate D
Split #3: wrong verb tenseFirst, the verb "were picturing" is too far away from the subject, "albums."
That setup misleadingly makes it appear that the Isley Brothers themselves were picturing
white people on the album covers.
I am quite sure that the Isley Brothers were not imagining white folks on the cover of their albums.
Sidebar: I had no idea that
Jimi Hendrix played with them.Second, "were picturing" is the wrong verb tense.
The two album covers that pictured white people were discrete events at a particular time.
Simple past is needed.
Eliminate E
Answer A