There is a booming tourism industry in Scotland centered around the so

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

(E)

Step 1: Read the Original Sentence Carefully, Looking for Errors

The underlined portion starts with the singular verb “is,” and a scan of the answer choices shows a choice between “is” and the plural “are.” The thing that “is outweighed by the evidence” is other “evidence.” Therefore, this singular verb is correct. However, there’s also a comparison here between the evidence for and against the existence of the Loch Ness monster. Comparisons must be parallel in form; here, the first part of the comparison is about “evidence,” while the second is about “the evidence.” Since there’s a definite article in the second part but not the first, the structure of the comparison is not parallel.

Step 2: Scan and Group the Answer Choices

There’s a 3-2 split between the choices that use “the evidence,” (A) and (B), and those that use “evidence,” (C), (D), and (E). Another 3-2 split is between the singular verb “is” in (A), (D), and (E) and the plural verb “are” in (B) and (C). Either split is a good starting place for eliminating choices.

Step 3: Eliminate Choices Until Only One Remains

Eliminate (A) due to the comparison error identified in the original sentence and (B) as well because it commits the same error. (B) also incorrectly changes the first word in the underlined segment to the plural “are.” Despite the fact that photographs are given as an example of this evidence, this verb belongs to the singular subject “evidence.”

Of the three choices that fix the comparison error, (C) incorrectly uses “are,” so it can be eliminated. (D) changes “that supports” to “for supporting.” It would be correct to say there is evidence for something, and it would be correct to say there is evidence supporting something. However, “evidence for supporting” is not idiomatically correct usage. (E) is the only choice that fixes the error in the comparison without introducing a new error, so it is correct. Read it back into the sentence to confirm:

There is a booming tourism industry in Scotland centered around the so-called Loch Ness monster; however; evidence that tends to support the existence of the monster, such as grainy photographs that purport to show the creature, is outweighed by evidence that supports the idea that there is no such monster.