Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandesti

Question

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1) 
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Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandestine affairs with women, Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary,  which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably  Shibden Hall in West Yorkshire, England.

A) which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably

B) covering a range of topics, from her travels such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees and the improvements made to her properties, notably

C) detailing a range of topics, her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels, and the improvements made to her properties, notably

D) which also detailed a range of topics, from her travels, such as scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, to the improvements made to her properties, notably

E) which covered a range of topics, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels and also her having made improvements to her properties, notably

generis · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Project SC Butler: Sentence Correction (SC1)

THE PROMPT  
 
• Shorten this sentence; this one is easy to cut down in your mind.
 Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandestine affairs with women,  Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary,  which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably  Shibden Hall  in West Yorkshire, England.

The sentence, shortened:

Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary,  which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably  Shibden Hall.

• IDIOM:  From X To Y , not From X and Y

THE OPTIONS  
 
• Idiom error
→ The correct idiom is From X to Y, not From X and Y
X = her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees
Y = the improvements made to her properties

→ This idiom is tested in harder questions, and the writers are sneaky.
Catching the error in this sentence is difficult. 
Doing so gets easier when you see Option B, which contains the same error, and then option D, which contains the correct idiom.
If you are not sure what to do, do not get stuck.
Hold the option tentatively and look for a better answer.
ELIMINATE A

• Idiom error: same as that in option A

• Strategy
 If  you have a hazy idea that the idiom in options A and B is incorrect, you can eliminate both options now.
The options are nearly identical and cannot both be correct.
ELIMINATE B
 
• lack of parallelism
→ The sentence is restructured into a list of three items that are not parallel:  detailing . . . her scaling . . . the improvements.

• nonsensical modifiers
Okay:  detailing a range of topics  can definitely describe the diary
Weird:  her scaling the mountains , as a modifier for diary? We need a phrase such as  including her having scaled the mountains,  which would refer back to  describing  rather than the diary itself
Also weird:  the improvements made to her properties.  This phrase should be tied to  detailing,  but as the sentence stands,  the improvements  is part of a not-parallel list that, in this case, nonsensically modifies  diary. 
ELIMINATE C
 
• I do not see any errors

• Correct Idiom: From X to Y
The range of topics extends FROM her travels, such as ABC, TO the improvements made to her properties
KEEP
 
• the examples are not parallel
. . . a range of topics, such as X and   Y
X = her  scaling   
Y = her  having made  improvements

To maintain parallelism, we need either
 her having scaled the mountains . . . and   her having made improvements  
or
 her scaling the mountains . . . and   her making improvements

•  and also  is typically redundant
→ I would advise saving this type of error until the end to use as a tiebreaker if need be.
I would not eliminate an option immediately because it contained  and also .
At times the phrase is used for emphasis.
ELIMINATE E

The answer is D.

COMMENTS

thelonghalloween  (great username) and  HanishaD  , welcome to SC Butler.

This question is a bit slippery, and seems so from the beginning.
In such a situation, try to read quickly through all of the options.
No, I do not want you to go cherry picking an option; in this case, the options give you a better sense of the subtle strangeness in the other options.

A couple of these answers need more explanation.
Try to think about a person who is just beginning to be steeped in SC.

The other answers range from very good to outstanding.
 HanishaD  , I am bumping you to Best Community Reply.

Stay safe, everyone.

HanishaD · Answer

The first thing we should do is  scan through the options  to see the different aspects versus similar aspects. That way, we will have a better idea of what we are looking for as we read the full sentence.

We notice a  similarity  in the usage of the word  'range'  across options, which is usually accompanied by a  'from-to'  form to indicate the range of items being talked about. However, with this in mind,  remember that the goal is to eliminate four answers and not pick out a right answer .

Similarly, we notice  differences  in the use of the word  'also'  in the beginning and the words that follow after the comma, which range from  'such'  to  'from' . (see what I did there?) In terms of  'such' , what follows is  'and' . In terms of  'from' , what follows is  'to' . With this in mind, let's analyze what the sentence is saying now.

Lets exclude unnecessary words for now to simply get a gist of the sentence.

"Using a combination of  x  and  y  to do  z , Anne completes a diary,"  and now we continue to describe other contents of the diary with reference to some sort of  range .

With the context in mind, it wouldn't be ridiculous or incorrect to use the word 'also' before the first comma of the underlined portion, so we eliminate that as grounds to decide the correct answer. Usage of 'covering' and 'detailing' are subjectifying 'Anne' and not the diary. So Anne could detail as well as cover, again none of which is out of scope or incorrect.

Therefore, our  only option  is to look for differences after the comma and pick an answer based on that. Let's start with the  Process of Elimination, or PoE.

---

Option A

Usage of  'which'  indicates that the  diary is the main subject  here. Everything fits until we arrive to the  second comma , which follows usage of the word  'from' . The sentence says there is a  range  of topics  from her travels , thereby  limiting the aforementioned range to travels  only.

- Now that we know we are discussing travels, we see  'such as'  with an  example  of a travel, which makes sense. Remember,  'such as' is not our preferred option over 'from' when it comes to describing the 'range' of something , but it is  not enough  to cancel out the option completely. 
- However,  'and the improvements'  does not fit in with 'travels'. It is  not  indicating a travel but instead introducing a  different subject . Therefore, we must look for  parallelism  here between options based on commas to see if we can make sense of the mention of something different from  'travels' . 
- Matching up  'from her travels'  to  'and the improvements' , we already know  'from' is followed by 'to' . 
- Matching up  'such as her scaling'  to  'and the improvements made' , we see that the first gives an  action  conducted by 'her' in a present tense, whereas the other simply presents a  noun  followed by a verb + 'made/ed' verb form shows that the action took place in the past.

For instance,  'her improving the properties'  would have been synonymous to  'her scaling the' .

Therefore, we eliminate option A

---

Option B

Similar issues: lets rewrite this sentence as   range of topics, from xyz, and abc, example of abc.

-  'range of topics' , followed by comma and starting with  'from' , therefore no other choice but to have  'to'  to make sense of the sentence. 
- However, we see that  'and'  is used.  'And'  can never be used, since it does  not fully indicate a range . Since, for this option, we are  describing a range , we cannot take any other connecting words apart from  'from-to' .

Therefore we eliminate option B

---

Option C

Similar issues:

Rewrite as:   range of topics, xyz and abc, example of abc.

- Usage of word  range  must be followed by  'from-to'

Eliminate option C

---

Option D

rewrite as:   which also detailed a range of topics, from xyz, example of xyz, to abc, example of abc.   
OR:   range of topics, FROM xyz... TO abc.

- correct usage of  'from-to'  following the usage of word  'range' 
- correct parallelism, comparing  'her travels' , which is noun form, to  'the improvements' , which is noun form.
- both have mentions of examples (example of zyx, example of abc) that follow after introduction of general topic (in our case, xyz and abc) -  parallel

Enough for us to KEEP Option D.

---

Option E

Rewrite as:   which covered a range of topics, SUCH AS xyz AND ALSO abc, example of abc

- Using  'and'  and   'also'  together is redundant; when you say  x and y , you are already including both as part of your sentence. Adding  also , making it  x and also y  doesn't do anything to change the meaning of the sentence. Instead, one could very well say your sentence basically means  x and and y.  . In GMAT, our goal is to  keep it concise and to the point , so redundancy is an absolute  no . 
- Other issues are similar -  'range'  followed by  'such as-and' . While  'such as-and'  could be correct usage in terms of comparing two things or placing two things side by side, we  cannot use this to indicate a range . 
- While  'her scaling'  and  'her having made improvements'  are both parallel  (VERB FORM) , notice how  'her having made'  is a mouthful. In light of keeping it concise and looking at all other issues found with the sentence, this parallelism in verb form does  little  to confirm this answer as correct for us.

Eliminate Option E

-------

Therefore, after PoE, we can correct confirm our answer is D.

sumitkrocks · Answer

Range of topics that the sentence intends to express involves more than the travel experiences and hence correct construction should be range from x to y

(D) is the right answer IMO

winterschool · Answer

Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandestine affairs with women, Anne Lister completed a voluminous diary, which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably Shibden Hall in West Yorkshire, England.

A) which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees,  and the improvements  made to her properties, notably  Incorrect

idioms problem - ............ from ..............to............

B) covering a range of topics, from her travels such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees  and the improvements  made to her properties, notably  Incorrect

same as A

C)  detailing  a range of topics,  her scaling  the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels,  and the improvements  made to her properties, notably  Incorrect

parallelism error - ...., detailing ......, her scaling ....., and the improvements.....

D)  which also detailed a range of topics, from her travels, such as scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, to the improvements made to her properties, notably   Correct

E) which covered a range of topics, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels  and also her having  made improvements to her properties, notably  Incorrect

also and having uses wrong

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (D) .

Do we need  also  in (D)? I don't really like "which  also  detailed a range of topics".
It is better to write "which  also  detailed a range of  other  topics" or simply "which detailed a range of topics".
It turned out to be a non-factor, but definitely weighed me down in the process.

(A) With initial reading, we got the impression that she detailed a range of topics  deriving  from her travels. Upon careful reading and picking up some cues from punctuation, we realized that "from ... to" should be used to highlight the range of topics. We can eliminate (A) because it does not use "from ..  to ".

(B) We can eliminate (B) because it does not use "from ..  to ".

(C) In juxtaposing three items in a list ("a range of topics, her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels, and the improvements made to her properties"), this sentence incorrectly suggest that "a range of topics" is an equal to "her scaling" or "the improvement".

(D) "From...to" is appropriately used to provide examples for the range of topics. I do not like "also".

(E) This sentence reads a bit stilted, but the only glaring error might be "and also": If "and" is sufficient, "and also" is redundant. 
Also, to be parallel, "her having made..." should be "her making improvement", or "her scaling” should be "her having scaled".

kantapong · Answer

A) which also detailed a range of topics from her travels, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, and the improvements made to her properties, notably (A seems ok -> KEEP)

B) covering a range of topics, from her travels such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees and the improvements made to her properties, notably (the two latter examples are examples of her travels? -> DROP)

C) detailing a range of topics, her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels, and the improvements made to her properties, notably (detailing her scaling and detailing improvements? -> DROP)

D) which also detailed a range of topics, from her travels, such as scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees, to the improvements made to her properties, notably (D seems ok -> KEEP)

E) which covered a range of topics, such as her scaling the mountains of the Pyrenees during her travels and also her having made improvements to her properties, notably (also is repetitive, not good as A or D -> DROP)

A: her scaling and improvements are examples of a range of topics from her travel
D: scaling is an example of her travel, the range of topics from her travels to improvements
Looking at them closely, A actually distorts the meaning. I choose D.

swim2109 · Answer

D is the answer in my opinion.

Pre-thinking error: Range should be used with from....to composition

Only D uses the correct form.

thelonghalloween · Answer

IMO D

The noteable differences in options are 
Usage of 'From her travels... and...'
Usage of 'which'

'From her travels..' should be followed by 'to ....' This is not seen in A, B.. so eliminate

In C, 'her travels..' and 'improvements..' is made parallel to 'detailing..' which conveys wrong meaning

In E, again parallelism issue. The place of 'Also' gives the impression that 'covered a range of topics..' is parallel to 'improvements..' which conveys wrong meaning
 
So answer is D

generis · Answer

The official explanation is  here .

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Using a combination of algebra and ancient Greek to code her clandesti

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