OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONProject SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPTQuote:
The AXi3 language algorithm, one of the more than ten such algorithms that has been released last year, is making waves in the global scientific community due to its ability to mimic human writing, but it falls short on common sense.
• SUBJECT/VERB agreement
This sentence contains three subject/verb pairs
→ Main subject/verb pair: One . . . is
Nested inside that main subject is the second subject/verb pair (
[algorithms] that have been released).
→
algorithms that have been released contains the correct subject-verb pairing.
But
one is its own singular subject.
→ [algorithms] that . . . have been released
See Notes, below.
That is a relative pronoun referring to algorithms.
Algorithms are plural.
Watch the subjects and verbs in relative clauses (clauses that begin with which, that, or who).
Relative pronouns are bona fide subjects that must have their own verbs.
In fact, think of a relative pronoun (
that, who, which) as something that "eats up" one of the verbs. Once the verb is paired with, say,
that, it is no longer available.
The verb must agree in number with whatever the pronoun stands for.
That refers to plural
algorithms.
→ it . . . falls
ONE OF THE XsWhen you see "One of the Xs," look for the words that or who after "one of the Xs."Almost always, the following rules will hold:
ONE OF THE Xs +
that/who + VERB = plural verb for the word
thatONE OF THE Xs + VERB = singular verb for the subject ONE. (We are dealing with a
that-clause; this construction
• DUE TO → GMAC tests this phrase often. It is rarely correct.
See whether you can replace "due to" with "caused by" or "attributable to."
If "caused by" works, then "due to" is correct.
If "caused by" does not work, then "due to" is incorrect.
Quote:
A) The AXi3 language algorithm, one of the more than ten such algorithms that has been released last year, is making waves in the global scientific community due to its ability to mimic human writing, but it falls short on common sense.
• subject/verb disagreement:
has should be
have→
That stands for plural
algorithms. The singular verb
is should be
are.
•
due to is incorrect
→ substitute
caused by for
due to.
Wrong: The AXi3 language algorithm . . . is making waves in the scientific community caused by its ability to mimic human writing. → The sentence means that the AXi3 language algorithm's
ability to make waves in the scientific community
IS due to XYZ.
This option does not name a noun such as
ability to which
due to could refer.
In addition, when
due to is correct (on the GMAT, not often), the phrase frequently follows IS or ARE.
ELIMINATE A
Quote:
B) The AXi3 language algorithm, one of the more than ten such algorithms that [/i]has been released last year, is making waves in the global scientific community because of its ability to mimic human writing, but falling[/i] short on common sense.
• subject/verb disagreement:
has should be
have→ see option A
•
but falling is strange.
The phrase modifies
the AXi3 language algorithm, but the modifier is too far from its noun.
Participle phrases like this one (verbING phrases) can also modify the entire preceding clause(s), but that function is not the case here.
The first error is fatal, but if you did not catch it and could not decide about
but falling, you could keep this option tentatively.
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
C) The AXi3 language algorithm, one of the more than ten such algorithms that hhas been released last year, are making waves in the global scientific community having the ability to mimic human writing, but it falls short on common sense.
• singular
has does not agree with plural
algorithms (to which
that refers)
• singular
one does not agree with plural
are making wavesELIMINATE C
Quote:
D) The AXi3 language algorithm, one of the more than ten such algorithms that have been released last year, is making waves in the global scientific community for its ability to mimic human writing, but it falls short on common sense.
• I do not see any errors
→
correct: algorithms that have
→
correct: one of the algorithms . . . is making waves
→ The simple present
it falls is consistent with the other verb tenses in the sentence
→
but in
but it falls correctly signals contrast between the clauses
KEEP
Quote:
E) The AXi3 language algorithm, one of the more than ten such algorithms that have been released last year, are making waves in the global scientific community because of its ability to mimic human writing, and falls short on common sense.
• singular
one does not agree with plural
are making waves• we need a contrast word:
and should be
but→ the sentence describes one positive characteristic: the algorithm is "making waves"
→ the sentence also describes one negative characteristic: the algorithm "falls short" on common sense
The word
and does not convey the needed contrast.
ELIMINATE E
The correct answer is D.NOTES• One of the Xs: Summary of the ruleI explain these rules in
this post, here. Colin Kaepernick is a brave and prescient man.
The rules below will hold 99 percent of the time.
When we see
one of the Xs, whether the verb that follows that phrase is singular or plural turns on whether the phrase is accompanied by THAT/WHO.
One + of + the + Xs = singular verb
One + of + the + Xs THAT/WHO = plural verb following
that or
whoIf
that or
who does follow
one of the Xs, then
one of the Xs is
plural.
→ → She is one of the students who learn Spanish and English simultaneously.
If
that or
who is NOT present, then
one of the Xs is
singular.
→ → One of the students learns Spanish and English simultaneously.
In this sentence,
one of the Xs is followed by a
that clause, so the verb following
one of the Xs that is plural:
Correct: one of the algorithms that have been released this yearCOMMENTSAs always, I am glad to see everyone, including a few people whom I haven't seen in a while.
Kudos go to answers that explain well.
Kudos will be awarded after the OE is posted.[/size]