The peanut, or groundnut, a legume probably first cultivated as many a

Question

The peanut, or groundnut,  a legume probably  first cultivated as many as 7,600 years ago in the valleys of Peru.

(A) a legume probably

(B) a legume was probably

(C) is a legume probably

(D) probably is a legume

(E) is probably a legume

Xolmuhammad · Answer

The peanut, or groundnut, a legume probably first cultivated as many as 7,600 years ago in the valleys of Peru.

(A) a legume probably

(B) a legume was probably. Correct meaning remains " probably first cultivated years ago"

(C) is a legume probably

(D) probably is a legume

(E) is probably a legume

PgRaul · Answer

Ans : B
was cultivated is correct
#expertsreply

Xolmuhammad · Answer

Please, experts, provide offcial explanation for this question

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

Glance at the beginning of the underline and the beginning of each answer. Two answers begin with the noun  legume , two begin with the verb  is , and one begins with the adverb  probably . Something appears to be going on with sentence structure.

Next, read the original sentence for meaning and find a starting point. The subject appears to be  peanut , and everything that follows modifies  peanut . The sentence has no verb; it is a sentence fragment. Eliminate  (A).

Answer (B)  smashes two subjects together without any connecting words or punctuation; it is the equivalent of saying  Sally a girl likes dogs . Eliminate  answer (B).

Different placement of the modifier  probably  creates different meanings in the sentence.  Probably  should be placed before  first cultivated  to indicate that the legume was  probably first cultivated  at a certain time.

Answers (D)  and  (E) , though, say that the peanut is probably a legume.  Legume  is a standard classification of a food: The peanut either does or does not qualify as a legume, in the same way that an apple does or does not qualify as a fruit (as it turns out, both do qualify).  Eliminate (D)  and  (E).

Answer: C

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

The peanut, or groundnut,  a legume probably  first cultivated as many as 7,600 years ago in the valleys of Peru.

(A) a legume probably  This makes it a sentence fragment since the subject has no main verb. Eliminate.

(B) a legume was probably " a legume" is used as a second appositive and hence should be bound by commas. Without those, the sentence keeps two nouns together without any intervening words or verbs. Eliminate.

(C) is a legume probably  Correct answer - both above errors are rectified and no new errors are introduced.

(D) probably is a legume  The placement of "probably" before "legume" implies that there is some doubt about whether the peanut is a legume or not, whereas in the original sentence, the doubt is about when it was first cultivated. Change in meaning not justified. Eliminate.

(E) is probably a legume  Same error as (D). Eliminate.

Hope this helps.

The peanut, or groundnut, a legume probably first cultivated as many a

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GMAT Sentence Correction (SC - EA only) Questions

The peanut, or groundnut, a legume probably first cultivated as many a

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards