Although British and French abolitionists of the late 1700s predicted that manumission and the blockading of slave ships
would gradually undermine it, slavery continued to be the dominant cultural and economic force in southern America until the end of the American Civil War in 1865.
(A) would gradually undermine it
(B) to be a gradual undermining of it
(C) would be a gradual undermining of slavery
(D) to gradually undermine slavery
(E) gradually undermining it
Explanation:Though the original underlined sounds correct, there is a grammatical error in it. The use of 'it' here before the comma is ambiguous. The intended meaning of the sentence is that French abolitionists predicted that manumission and blockading of slave ships would gradually undermine slavery but it continued to a dominant force.
Per the intended meaning, 'it' should refer to slavery but here, 'it' doesn't tell what is undermined.
(A) would gradually undermine it
As explained above, WRONG(B) to be a gradual undermining of it
Ambiguous use of 'it' and the sentence structure changes the intended meaning. WRONG(C) would be a gradual undermining of slavery
This choice is providing a more precise and accurate representation of the prediction made by British and French abolitionists in the late 1700s. It conveys the intended meaning as well. CORRECT(D) to gradually undermine slavery
Incorrect use of 'to' here. per original sentence the Abolitionists predicted 'that' manumission and blockading of slave ships... This phrase is supposed to be followed by either an action verb or an idea of prediction. WRONG(E) gradually undermining it
Ambiguous use of 'it' and the sentence structure changes the intended meaning. WRONG