The inhabitants of Somalia greeted the measures

Question

The inhabitants of Somalia greeted the measures outlawing polygamy with  a similar defiance that welcomed  the
prohibition of alcohol in the United States in the nineteen-twenties.

a. a similar defiance that welcomed

b. a similar defiance which welcomed

c. a similar defiance to what welcomed

d. a defiance similar to that which welcomed

e. the same defiance welcoming

sayantanc2k · Accepted Answer

The intended meaning is:

The Somalians greeted a law with defiance which is similar to some  other  defiance. This  other  defiance occurred in USA in the 19th century.

There has to be two occurrences of "defiance" in the sentence - one for the Somalian incident and the other for the USA incident (to which the Somalian incident is compared.)

In option D, the pronoun "that" creates the  second copy  of defiance - the defiance that occurred in USA.

However in option A "defiance" occurs only once. One instance of defiance cannot refer to both the Somalian incident and the USA incident. Hence option D is better than option A.

The following example will clarify further why option A is wrong:

I made a similar drawing that depicted the true condition of the nature . Here the drawing I made shows the true condition of nature. To what my drawing is similar is not known.... (similar to option A above)

I made a drawing which is similar to a drawing that showed the true condition of nature.  Here the other drawing showed the true condition of nature- I made a drawing similar to that other drawing. (similar to option D above)

lotrgandalf · Answer

Why is (A) incorrect? Isn't A expressing the same meaning as (D)?

lotrgandalf · Answer

Thanks sayantanc2k

Sent from my Panasonic P81 using Tapatalk

Navinder · Answer

Hi sayantanc2k,

It seems from this question that which can be used without comma('). Is it valid usage? If 'that that' had been used, it would be correct?

Thanks

Sidharth8 · Answer

In A a single use of ‘defiance’ is meant to refer to two separate instances of defiance. Same error in E.
In B ‘which’ is used incorrectly.
In C ‘what’ is used incorrectly.
 
So D is the right answer.

manishcmu · Answer

Actually none of the answer choices seem correct to me. D says a defiance similar to defiance which welcomed prohibition of alcohol. It doesn't makes sense to say that defiance welcomed prohibition of alcohol.
As per the meaning, it should say a defiance similar to the defiance  to the measures  which welcomed prohibition of alcohol..

Kunni · Answer

Hi  sayantanc2k

Can't we count the statement A as an ellipsis statement?

Please let me know.

frankqxq · Answer

Personally speaking, I have never seen a "which" used without a comma as a correct answer choice before.

jaisonsunny77 · Answer

The inhabitants of Somalia greeted the measures outlawing polygamy with   a similar defiance that welcomed   the prohibition of alcohol in the United States in the nineteen-twenties.

The right idiom structure involving 'similar' is 'Similar to' (Example: They are similar to each other)

In (A), (B) and (C), we do not have this idiom structure. Hence,   eliminate (A), (B), and (C) 
 
We are now left with (D) and (E)

d.  a defiance similar to that which welcomed  -

If you plug (D) back into the sentence, the sentence now becomes:

The inhabitants of Somalia greeted the measures outlawing polygamy with   a defiance similar to that which welcomed   the prohibition of alcohol in the United States in the nineteen-twenties.

After plugging (D) back into the sentence, we realize that (D) does not introduce any error. Hence,   (D) is the right answer choice. 
 
e.  the same defiance welcoming   - the -ing verb 'welcoming' indicates that this action is in the present continuous tense (Which means that this action is still ongoing). However, the event that the verb 'welcoming' tries to modify is an event that took place in the past. We therefore have a wrong verb tense here. Hence,   eliminate (E)

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

a. a similar defiance that welcomed
There is no difference cited beyween the two defiance which doesn't deliever the meaning therefore out

b. a similar defiance which welcomed
There has to be disntinguisher for both the defiance which occured seperately which is absent therefore out

c. a similar defiance to what welcomed
to what welcomed brings in a meaning as though something else welcomed the defiance therefore out

d. a defiance similar to that which welcomed
The definance were similar in some way which is the intended meaning therefore let us hang on to it

e. the same defiance welcoming
the meaning isn't clearly conveyed therefore out

THerefore IMO D

VerbalBot · Answer

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The inhabitants of Somalia greeted the measures

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The inhabitants of Somalia greeted the measures

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