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The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was

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The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   23 Jul 2020, 21:31
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Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)


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The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become
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A
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The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   23 Jul 2020, 21:34
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)



THE PROMPT
Quote:
The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

• Remove the nonessential modifier (the appositive that follows starling):
The starling . . . was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

• Glance at the answer choices. Which word in that shortened sentence is the most important?
→ Since.
→ This word is a verb tense marker, just as is the phrase by the time (try this question, here, and see my answer, here.

• In this sentence, since means between a specific past time and the present.
→ the sentence describes an action that began in the past and that is continuing into the future.
→ to talk about that kind of time period, we use has/have + past participle (verbED)
→ that verb tense is called present perfect

Quote:
(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

• I see no errors
• the starling, singular, is paired with was, also singular
• the verb tense, has [since] become, is correct
→ the action began in the past and continues into the present
KEEP

Quote:
(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

• The starling, singular, cannot be paired with the plural verb were
• even if you can't quite figure out whether the starling is singular or plural, it can't be both in a compound predicate (one subject does two things)
→ were is plural whereas has [since] become is singular
ELIMINATE B

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become
• wrong verb tense; there is no such thing as would since do anything
• because of the word since and the context, as I noted, we need has since become
ELIMINATE C

Quote:
(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

• wrong verb tense; there is no such thing as since became
→ we need the past participle (verbED), not simple past
→ past perfect requires HAS/HAVE + ___ED (verbED)—that is, has since become
• the verbs do not have to be parallel (was and became are both simple past, but this answer is 100% wrong)
→ when one subject does two (or more) things, we call the part with the verbs a compound predicate in which verb tenses can shift.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become

• singular subject starling does not agree with plural verb were
ELIMINATE E

The answer is A.

COMMENTS

Akp880 and AyushGogia21 , welcome to SC Butler.

Word of the day: mellifluous.

Explanation is key.
Most of these answers give very good explanations. Nice work.
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The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   Updated on: 23 Jul 2020, 22:20
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The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

Meaning:
1. The starling is a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays
2. The bird was first introduced in the United States in 1890 (one time event in, so we need to use simple past)
3. The bird has since become a significant pest species. (The action has started in the past and it still continues.We need to use present perfect)

POE:
A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become Correct

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become Incorrect

=> The starling (singular)...were..(SV error)

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become Incorrect

=> The starling.....would since become (It should be in present perfect form because the effect still exists)

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became Incorrect

=> The starling..... since become (It should be in present perfect form because the effect still exists)

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become Incorrect

=> The starling (singular)...were..(SV error)

Originally posted by Ranasaymon on 23 Jul 2020, 21:44.
Last edited by Ranasaymon on 23 Jul 2020, 22:20, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   23 Jul 2020, 22:15
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generis wrote:

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)


For SC butler Questions Click Here



The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
Correct choice

Clear and parallel construction


(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
Subject is singular, incorrect verb usage

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

Would since become is talking about something happened in past, not making any sense.

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became
Incorrect parallelism

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become

Singular subject - Incorrect verb

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   23 Jul 2020, 23:26
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generis wrote:

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)


For SC butler Questions Click Here



The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

Sentence Structure
Subject - Verb - Modifier
    The starling
        , a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays,
      was first introduced in the United States in 1890
      AND
      has since become a significant pest species.

Issue:
    Everything grammatically seems alright. Alert-cap ON! :cool:

    The starling is a SINGULAR subject because it is mapped to "A bird" in the modifier.
    B and E: SV-mismatch

    Catch: Focus on the non-underlined part of the SC!

Answer choice analysis
    (A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
      Mellifluous. A is the winner!

    (B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
      SV-mismatch. OUT

    (C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become
      The usage of "would become" is INCORRECT since it shows prediction in the future that does NOT create a coherent structure.
      OUT

    (D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became
      To showcase the duration, ongoing event OR the result that is still in the picture, present-perfect is utilised.
      Thus, became ----> Past Tense | Has become ----> Present-Perfect
      OUT

      Learning -
        Past Tense:
          Sir Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin in 1928. - ONE time event.

        Present Perfect tense:
          The penicillin-cure has been in action since 1928 - Effect that is still relevant in the present.

    (E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become
      SV-mismatch. OUT

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 00:37
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The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become

Explanation:

A- correct choice,proper use of present perfect for an action whose effect still exists.

B- Subject verb agreement error."The Starling" is singular hence verb should be "was"

C-Tense error. Usage of present perfect is required here for an action whose effect still exists.

D- incorrect tense usage.'Since' is a time marker indicating an action (or effect)that still exists.

E-Subject verb agreement error."The Starling" is singular hence verb should be "was".

Hence A is the correct answer.

Award kudos if you like the explanation.?

Regards,
Atul Pandey

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 01:14
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generis wrote:

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)


For SC butler Questions Click Here



The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become



Hello guys!

Eliminate Options B and E for incorrect usage of the word 'were'. It is singular because it refers to a bird, not to birds.
Eliminate Option C for incorrect usage of the preposition.
Eliminate Option D, Same as C and the usage of past tense 'became', which doesn't sound correct.

Option A seems fine to me.

Hit Option A

Thank you!

Regards,
Raunak Damle :)
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 01:49
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The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
So far so good. The subject verb pair agree in number and make sense. The choice conveys the intended meaning properly. No reason to eliminate A.

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
'were' is a plural verb and is used with a singular subject 'The starling'. Therefore B is out.

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become
The verb 'was' here agree with singular subject but the usage of 'would' after and is nonsensical and doesn't make any sense.The verb should be present perfect since the effect of the action lasts in the present too. Choice C is out too.

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became
Usage of since became is wrong. The intended meaning of the sentence says that affect of the action lasts in present time too. Therefore choice D is out too.

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become
usage of were is wrong with the singular subject. Choice E is out too.


Therefore Choice A is the correct Answer.
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 02:26
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The first obvious split we see is between was and were. Since we are talking about a singular bird we need to take the singular verb that is was.

(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
- CORRECT. Introduced in is preferred over introduced to. The use of has since is also conveying the right meaning.

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become
- The use of were is incorrect.

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become
- Introduced to is unidiomatic. Also, placing would since become on a timeline is confusing as hell. So eliminate.

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became
- Since + became is incorrect as since should follow a continuous verb. Also, introduced to is unidiomatic.

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become
- Same as B
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 05:13
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The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

POE:
Stop sign- SV agreement. 'starling.....was'.Eliminate (B) & (E)
Eliminate (C)& (D) - Tense error. 'bird is still a significant species'

(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become - CORRECT

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 09:39
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The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become - Sv pair is correct. 'has since become' conveys the meaning of it being significant in the past and still being significant. Correct.

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become - SV error. Incorrect.

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become - 'would' changes meaning. Incorrect.

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became - It's still a significant species. conveys a different meaning. Incorrect.

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become - SV error. Incorrect.

Hence, the answer is Option (A).
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 13:33
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B and E - low hanging fruits: S-V error ("The starling, a bird.. " - single subject, "were" - plural verb).

"Since" is a marker of perfect tenses so among "has since become" (A), "would since become" (C), and "since became"(E) - A wins.
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The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   24 Jul 2020, 14:16
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IMO A

(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become

The starling is singular so singular verb, hence A,C,D remain

D has became which is past tense is incorrect as the bird is still a significant pest species. So D out

Coming to C ,would since become doesn't make sense and usage of would is incorrect.

Also both C and D have incorrect preposition to
We don't introduce to in some place we introduce in some place

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   26 Jul 2020, 00:41
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The official explanation is here.
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   28 Jul 2020, 10:48
The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.


(A) was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

Correct

(B) were first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become

Incorrect- Were

(C) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and would since become

Incorrect- would since ( The action is in an ongoing state)

(D) was first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since became

Incorrect- since became ( the action has started in past but is still going on)

(E) were first introduced to the United States in 1890 and since has become

Incorrect- were

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   29 Jul 2020, 09:16
The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

The starling has since become a significant pest species.- what is the meaning and structure of this sentence?
The bird has < what> since it becomes a significant pest species
OR
Since then , the bird has become a significant pest species .

generis
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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   30 Jul 2020, 05:42
imSKR wrote:
The starling, a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays, was first introduced in the United States in 1890 and has since become a significant pest species.

The starling has since become a significant pest species.- what is the meaning and structure of this sentence?
The bird has < what> since it becomes a significant pest species
OR
Since then , the bird has become a significant pest species .

generis


[quote="imSKR"] Hello friend I understand you doubt.

This sentence actually contains time marker "since" to indicate the still existing effect of the introduction of that bird way back in 1890.

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink] New post   17 Sep 2021, 12:34
Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

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Re: The starling a bird mentioned in one of Shakespeare’s plays was [#permalink]
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