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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



Using a brush soaked in water, a stroke can be smeared that is made with watercolor pencils.


A. Using a brush soaked in water, a stroke can be smeared that is made with watercolor pencils

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect as it incorrectly places a relative clause, which is a noun modifier, after a verb. The relative clause that is made with watercolor pencils is intended to modify the noun stroke. However, it follows the verb smeared.

What helps us identify this question as a Relative Clause question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: who, which, that, whose, whom

In addition, the question begins with a modifier: Using a brush soaked in water. We can tell it's a modifier as it appears at the beginning of the sentence, is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma, and there is a verb+ing in it (using). This modifier makes it seem as if a stroke is using a brush, which makes little sense.

A modifier is a Stop Sign. We have to make sure that the modifier is placed right next to the noun it describes.



B. A stroke can be smeared that is made with watercolor pencils by using a brush soaked in water

This answer choice repeats the original relative Clause mistake as it incorrectly places a relative clause, which is a noun modifier, after a verb. The relative clause that is made with watercolor pencils is intended to modify the noun stroke. However, it appears immediately after the verb smeared.

What helps us identify this question as a Relative Clause question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign: who, which, that, whose, whom



C. Using a brush soaked in water, a person can create a smeared stroke that is made with watercolor pencils

The relative clause that is made with watercolor pencils modifies the noun stroke and should therefore appear immediately after it.

In addition the dangling modifier is fixed by specifying who/what is using a brush.



D. Using a brush soaked in water that is made with watercolor pencils, a person can create a smeared stroke

While this answer choice corrects the original dangling modifier error by clarifying who/what is using a brush, this answer choice changes the meaning of the original sentence and makes it illogical. In the original sentence, the stroke is made by watercolor pencils; in this answer choice, the relative clause that is made with watercolor pencils modifies the noun water, indicating that the water is 'made' by watercolor pencils, which is illogical and impossible.


E. Using a brush soaked in water, a person's strokes that is made with watercolor pencils can be smeared

While this answer choice corrects the original Relative Clause mistake and the original dangling modifier error by specifying who/what is using a brush, it is grammatically incorrect. The plural subject strokes does not agree with the singular verb is.
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Bhu750
Bunuel

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION



Urban gentrification, an informal cause for the economic eviction of lower-income residents, a process in which more affluent people acquire housing property cheaply in poor neighborhoods and the entry of upscale businesses and commerce combine driving up real-estate prices, rents, and property taxes.


A. a process in which more affluent people acquire housing property cheaply in poor neighborhoods and the entry of upscale businesses and commerce combine driving

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect -- it is a fragment.

This sentence is a fragment because the main subject Urban gentrification lacks a conjugated verb that matches it (remember that verbs in modifying and relative clauses do not count here):

    Urban gentrification [, an informal cause for the economic eviction of lower-income residents,] a process in which [X].

In addition, the construction combine driving is grammatically incorrect: the modifier driving should be separated from the preceding part of the sentence by a comma.



B. a process in which more affluent people acquiring housing cheaply in poor neighborhoods and the entry of upscale businesses and commerce combine and which drive

Incorrect.

This answer choice repeats the original mistake -- it is a fragment.

In addition, the use of the second relative pronoun and which, creates a parallelism: a process in which ... and which. However, this parallelism introduces a mistake - the singular subject process does not agree with the plural verb drive.



C. is a process where more affluent people acquire cheap housing properties in poor neighborhoods and, combined with upscale businesses and commerce entering, is driving

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects the fragment mistake in the original sentence, it either changes the meaning of the original sentence or is grammatically incorrect, depending on how you read it. To understand this double-edged mistake, break down the sentence as follows:

    Main clause: Urban gentrification, ..., is a process where :

    Relative clause: more affluent people acquire cheap housing properties in poor neighborhoods

    Final part?: and, combined with ..., is driving up real-estate prices, rents, and property taxes.

If the final part of the sentence belongs to relative clause, it creates a Subject-Verb Agreement mistake: the singular verb is driving does not agree with the plural subject people.

If, however, the final part belongs to the main clause, it changes the meaning of the sentence. In the original sentence it was affluent people's acquisitions that combined with upscale business entering; however, here it is the process of urban gentrification that combines with upscale business entering.

    Urban gentrification, ..., is a process where [..] and, combined with upscale businesses and commerce entering, is driving up [...].



D. a process where the combination of more affluent people acquiring cheap housing properties in poor neighborhoods and upscale businesses and commerce entering drives

Incorrect.

This answer choice repeats the original mistake -- it is a fragment.

This sentence is a fragment because the main subject Urban gentrification lacks a conjugated verb that matches it (remember that verbs in modifying and relative clauses do not count here):

    Urban gentrification [, an informal cause for the economic eviction of lower-income residents,] a process in which [X].

In addition, Verb+ing (entering) can be used as a noun replacement only when there's no actual noun. Since there is a real noun -entry- it should be used.



E. is a process in which more affluent people acquiring cheap housing properties in poor neighborhoods and the entry of upscale businesses and commerce combine to drive

This answer choice corrects the fragment mistake in the original question by by adding the verb is in the main clause (Urban gentrification....is a process...).

It also corrects the grammatical construction by changing the faulty construction combine driving to combine to drive. This construction (with conjugated verb + to V) expresses the fact that drive is the result of combine.

Bunuel,

Explanation for a different question is posted by mistake I guess

Posted from my mobile device
________________________________
Fixed. Thank you!
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