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05 Jan 2021, 00:58
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A
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
15%
(low)
Question Stats:
77% (01:17) correct
23%
(01:27)
wrong
based on 329
sessions
History
Date
Time
Result
Not Attempted Yet
Several marine biologists contend that all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans can be traced back to a single unicellular ancestor.
A) that all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans can be traced back
B) the planet’s oceans house millions of species of which all can be traced
C) that the planet’s oceans house millions of species which are all traceable
D) all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans to be traceable
E) that the ability to trace all of the millions of species that are housed in the planet’s oceans is attributable
05 Jan 2021, 01:01
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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
THE PROMPT
THE OPTIONS
→ although the phrase all of the millions of species may seem a bit long, the phrase is acceptable in a context that describes something quite radical about those many millions of species
→ traced back is idiomatic and commonly used in ancestry.
Take a quick look here.
For a good post on verbs and that-clauses, see this post, here.
• Wrong meaning
→ Marine biologists do not contend that the oceans house millions of species. The latter is obvious.
The biologists contend that all those species come from one ancestor.
→ Why am I reading this option in such a way?
Look carefully at the option inserted into the sentence. The || lines show the "end' of the actual direct object millions of species.
What follows those || signs now looks less important than the millions of species themselves, but the "of which" material should not be relegated to the back seat:
Several marine biologists contend [THAT] the planet’s oceans house millions of species || of which all can be traced to a single unicellular ancestor.
• of which all sounds strange. The better construction would be: [COMMA] + [all of which]
ELIMINATE B
• WHICH/THAT
In British English, which and that are interchangeable.
In U.S. English and on the GMAT, which and that are not interchangeable.
→ which introduces nonessential information and is set off by commas
→ that introduces essential information and is almost never set off by commas
People debate whether GMAT will continue to observe the distinction between which and that.
In at least one official question in the nonunderlined portion, which was used without commas to introduce essential modifiers.
On the other hand, I have never seen a correct answer choice (i.e., the underlined part) in which the word which introduced essential material and was not set off by commas.
SPOILER ALERT: In addition, in 2020, GMAC published a new official question that tests this very distinction.
The question remains in the 2021 Official Guide. You can find that question here.
• Option A is not plagued by "which."
ELIMINATE C
• to be is a diction disaster. Contend X to be Y? Ugh.
ELIMINATE D
→ This sentence states that the ability to trace [species] is attributable to a single unicellular ancestor of those species.
→ Traceability is not created by a unicellular ancestor.
ELIMINATE E
The answer is A.
COMMENTS
DanTe02 , MB88 , and dortinator1234923 , welcome to SC Butler.
MB88 , I answered your good question about "traced back" above.
As for general matters, rather than repeat myself . . . I'll tell you a true story.
When I was in fifth grade, my typically easygoing teacher was at the chalkboard, writing, his back to the class.
Out of character, I murmured something to a classmate.
The teacher whirled around, demanding, "Who was talking?!"
For a moment, I was startled by his speed and his unusual demeanor.
Then I answered, "It was I."
He started laughing.
The class was relieved. They had no idea why he was laughing.
They were just happy that he wasn't mad.
Why was he laughing?
"It was I" is correct.
Only a bookworm child of grammar-happy parents would answer that way instinctively.
I'll let you all figure out why "It was I" is correct.
Some of you may know, in which case my flagging the issue doesn't matter.
Some of you may not know, in which case my merely highlighting the correct construction doesn't help much.
In a completely parallel universe, I would merely highlight, in red type, the erroneous construction. Nothing else.
Kudos to good explanations.
Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC2)
THE PROMPT
Quote:
Meaning? Some marine biologists argue that all species in the oceans descend from a single unicellular ancestor.
THE OPTIONS
Quote:
• I do not see any issues
→ although the phrase all of the millions of species may seem a bit long, the phrase is acceptable in a context that describes something quite radical about those many millions of species
→ traced back is idiomatic and commonly used in ancestry.
Take a quick look here.
Quote:
• the verb contend must be followed by that
For a good post on verbs and that-clauses, see this post, here.
• Wrong meaning
→ Marine biologists do not contend that the oceans house millions of species. The latter is obvious.
The biologists contend that all those species come from one ancestor.
→ Why am I reading this option in such a way?
Look carefully at the option inserted into the sentence. The || lines show the "end' of the actual direct object millions of species.
What follows those || signs now looks less important than the millions of species themselves, but the "of which" material should not be relegated to the back seat:
Several marine biologists contend [THAT] the planet’s oceans house millions of species || of which all can be traced to a single unicellular ancestor.
• of which all sounds strange. The better construction would be: [COMMA] + [all of which]
ELIMINATE B
Quote:
• which should be that
• WHICH/THAT
In British English, which and that are interchangeable.
In U.S. English and on the GMAT, which and that are not interchangeable.
→ which introduces nonessential information and is set off by commas
→ that introduces essential information and is almost never set off by commas
People debate whether GMAT will continue to observe the distinction between which and that.
In at least one official question in the nonunderlined portion, which was used without commas to introduce essential modifiers.
On the other hand, I have never seen a correct answer choice (i.e., the underlined part) in which the word which introduced essential material and was not set off by commas.
SPOILER ALERT: In addition, in 2020, GMAC published a new official question that tests this very distinction.
The question remains in the 2021 Official Guide. You can find that question here.
• Option A is not plagued by "which."
ELIMINATE C
Quote:
• the verb contend must be followed by that
• to be is a diction disaster. Contend X to be Y? Ugh.
ELIMINATE D
Quote:
• nonsensical meaning
→ This sentence states that the ability to trace [species] is attributable to a single unicellular ancestor of those species.
→ Traceability is not created by a unicellular ancestor.
ELIMINATE E
The answer is A.
COMMENTS
DanTe02 , MB88 , and dortinator1234923 , welcome to SC Butler.
MB88 , I answered your good question about "traced back" above.
As for general matters, rather than repeat myself . . . I'll tell you a true story.
When I was in fifth grade, my typically easygoing teacher was at the chalkboard, writing, his back to the class.
Out of character, I murmured something to a classmate.
The teacher whirled around, demanding, "Who was talking?!"
For a moment, I was startled by his speed and his unusual demeanor.
Then I answered, "It was I."
He started laughing.
The class was relieved. They had no idea why he was laughing.
They were just happy that he wasn't mad.
Why was he laughing?
"It was I" is correct.
Only a bookworm child of grammar-happy parents would answer that way instinctively.
I'll let you all figure out why "It was I" is correct.
Some of you may know, in which case my flagging the issue doesn't matter.
Some of you may not know, in which case my merely highlighting the correct construction doesn't help much.
In a completely parallel universe, I would merely highlight, in red type, the erroneous construction. Nothing else.
Kudos to good explanations.
05 Jan 2021, 02:39
Kudos
Bookmarks
The original sentence is
Several marine biologists contend that all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans can be traced back to a single unicellular ancestor.
i.e.
The biologists contend That ( That is required as contend is a reporting verb)
all of the millions of species can be traced back to a single unicellular ancestor. (Upon dropping the noun modifier phrase "housed in
the planet’s oceans")
The sentence does not seem to have any grammatical error. Hold on.
Eliminate the choices now.
A) that all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans can be traced back
Hold on with it.
B) the planet’s oceans house millions of species of which all can be traced
"that" is required after "contend (reporting verb)"
C) that the planet’s oceans house millions of species which are all traceable
Misplaced modifier . "all" should modify species rather.
D) all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans to be traceable
"that" is required after "contend (reporting verb)"
E) that the ability to trace all of the millions of species that are housed in the planet’s oceans is attributable
The sentence says that - The ability is attributable to single unicellular ancestor. This is not the actual meaning. It's not true that the single unicellular ancestors attribute anything to have the ability to trace the millions of species.
IMO A
Several marine biologists contend that all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans can be traced back to a single unicellular ancestor.
i.e.
The biologists contend That ( That is required as contend is a reporting verb)
all of the millions of species can be traced back to a single unicellular ancestor. (Upon dropping the noun modifier phrase "housed in
the planet’s oceans")
The sentence does not seem to have any grammatical error. Hold on.
Eliminate the choices now.
A) that all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans can be traced back
Hold on with it.
B) the planet’s oceans house millions of species of which all can be traced
"that" is required after "contend (reporting verb)"
C) that the planet’s oceans house millions of species which are all traceable
Misplaced modifier . "all" should modify species rather.
D) all of the millions of species housed in the planet’s oceans to be traceable
"that" is required after "contend (reporting verb)"
E) that the ability to trace all of the millions of species that are housed in the planet’s oceans is attributable
The sentence says that - The ability is attributable to single unicellular ancestor. This is not the actual meaning. It's not true that the single unicellular ancestors attribute anything to have the ability to trace the millions of species.
IMO A
