V08-07

Official Solution:

The later generation Roman kings, flamboyant sybarites, held parties in their courts, they sported ethnic delicacies, choicest of cocktails, and randy performances by courtesans

A. The later generation Roman kings, flamboyant sybarites, held parties in their courts, they sported
B. Parties were held in the courts of the later generation Roman kings, flamboyant sybarites, which sported
C. The later generation Roman kings, flamboyant sybarites in their courts, held parties sporting
D. The later generation Roman kings were flamboyant sybarites, who held parties in their courts and sported
E. In their courts, the later generation Roman kings, flamboyant sybarites, held parties that sported


A. Two independent clauses “The later generation Roman kings, flamboyant sybarites, held parties in their courts” and “they sported ethnic delicacies, choicest of cocktails, and randy performances by courtesans” are joined by a comma - there must be a conjunction between two independent clauses.

The pronoun “they” is ambiguous - it has two possible antecedents “kings” and “parties”.

B. The relative pronoun “which” wrongly refers to “sybarites” - the sybarites did not sport ethnic delicacies etc.

C. Meaning is distorted. This sentence implies that the Roman kings were sybarites in their courts. Moreover it is not clarified that the parties took place in the courts.

D. This sentence wrongly implies that the Roman kings sported ethnic delicacies etc., because the subject pronoun “who” of the relative clause “who held parties and sported..” refers to the antecedent “Roman kings”.

E. CORRECT. It is clear that the Roman kings held parties in their courts. It is also clear that the parties sported ethnic delicacies etc.


Answer: E