While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors

Question

While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors leading to the industrial revolution, there can be no doubt that technological innovations such as the spinning jenny, the power loom,  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and the steam engine played a key role.

A. smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces 
B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke 
C. the use of blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke 
D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces 
E. pig iron being smelt in blast furnaces with coke

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors leading to the industrial revolution, there can be no doubt that technological innovations such as the spinning jenny, the power loom,  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and the steam engine played a key role.

A. smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces

Incorrect.

This answer choice is grammatically incorrect. The first, second, and last items in the of the sentence are nouns ( jenny, loom, engine ), but the third item is a verb ( smelting ).

What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:

A list of 3 items or more, separated by commas and and/or before the last item.

In a list of 3 or more items, all the items should be the same part of speech (all nouns, all verbs, or all adjectives), and they should be logically parallel.

B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects the parallelism mistake in the original question of the sentence, by changing the verb  smelting  to the noun  furnace  it changes the meaning of the original question.

The original question lists the action or process of  smelting  as a central  technological innovation of  the Industrial Revolution, whereas the corrected sentence lists the  furnaces  (in which the process takes place) as an innovation. However, blast furnaces may have already existed prior to that time, while they were now put into new use.

C. the use of blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke

Incorrect.

While this answer choice corrects the Parallelism mistake in the original sentence, by changing the verb  smelting  to the noun phrase  blast furnaces that were used in order to smelt pig iron with coke , it is too wordy.

Look for another answer choice that achieves the same result more concisely.

D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces

This answer choice corrects the Parallelism mistake in the original sentence, by changing the verb  smelting (pig iron)  to the noun phrase  the blast furnaces used for smelting  thus correcting the parallelism both grammatically and logically.

The sentence uses parallelism to list  technological innovations . The sentence lists four machines ( spinning jenny, power loom, steam engine,  and  blast furnaces used for smelting ) that were newly invented during the industrial revolution.

What helps us identify this question as a Parallelism question as well as identify the mistake is the following Stop Sign:

A list of 3 items or more, separated by commas and and/or before the last item.

In a list of 3 or more items, all the items should be the same part of speech (all nouns, all verbs, or all adjectives), and they should be logically parallel.

E. pig iron being smelt in blast furnaces with coke

Incorrect.

This answer choice repeats the parallelism mistake in the original question. The first, second and last items in the list of the sentence are nouns ( jenny, loom, engine ), but the third item is a participle phrase ( pig iron being smelt ).

In addition, the use of the V+ing form  being  is awkward.

zhanbo · Answer

My answer is  (B) . It took me 34 seconds.

The key is parallelism in the list (of 4 items) of technological innovations.

To be parallel with 
 the spinning jenny
the power loom
the steam engine 
We need "the + simple noun". 
and find (B) to be the perfect match.

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

The key to soving the problem is to maintain the parallelism

A. smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces 
a macjine is required not an action therefore out

B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke 
Exactly maintains the parallelism therefore our answer

C. the use of blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke 
B maintains the parallelism therefore out

D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces
This is an action therefore out 
 
E. pig iron being smelt in blast furnaces with coke
Being is a huge red flag and never has been the answer therefore out

Therefore IMO B

asishron29181 · Answer

While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors leading to the industrial revolution, there can be no doubt that technological innovations such as the spinning jenny, the power loom,  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and the steam engine played a key role.

A. smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces- Parallelism error. Incorrect
 B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke  - Correct. Corrects the parallelism error. 
C. the use of blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke- Parallelism error. Incorrect
D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces- Parallelism error. Incorrect
E. pig iron being smelt in blast furnaces with coke- Parallelism error. Incorrect

IMO B

SohGMAT2020 · Answer

While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors leading to the industrial revolution, there can be no doubt that technological innovations such as the spinning jenny, the power loom,  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and the steam engine played a key role.

Here three items in the list is not underlined and one item is. So, we have to make sure that all the items are of same type and hence maintain parallelism.

We have:

spinning jenny, : Noun - example of innovation
the power loom, : Noun - example of innovation
  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and ( ing participle describing an action. In this case the example is the blast furnace and smelting pig iron is something that done in the furnace. Smelting itself is not the example. So we have to look for the answer that conveys the correct meaning and is parallel. 
the steam engine : Noun - example of innovation

A. smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces : Eliminate for reason mentioned above
  B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke : Correct for reason mentioned above  
C. the use of blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke : Eliminate for reason mentioned above
D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces: Eliminate for reason mentioned above
E. pig iron being smelt in blast furnaces with coke: Eliminate for reason mentioned above

sivatx2 · Answer

The underlined portion of the sentence is part of the list that has to be in parallel with the other items in the list(non-underlined). Note that each item(non-underlined) in the list begins with the article, 'the'. So to maintain parallel structure, every item in the list should begin with 'the'.

A.  smelting pig iron  with coke in blast furnaces
 
 Article, 'the' is missing and not parallel. Eliminate.

B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke
  This is correct with the article, the, and the item 'blast furnace'. 'for smelting pig iron with coke' is just the modifier of the item. So, the answer choice is B

C.  the use of blast furnaces  in order to smelt pig iron with coke 
 'The use of blast furnaces' is not parallel with other list items. Eliminate.

D.  the smelting of pig iron  with coke in blast furnaces 
 'The smelting of pig iron' is not parallel with other list items. Eliminate.

E.  pig iron being smelt  in blast furnaces with coke 
 The process, 'pig iron being smelt' is not parallel with other list items. Eliminate.

100mitra · Answer

Correct Option : B

Sentence exam on : 
-  Parallelism   list of Noun 
-  Modifier  the  technology innovation to list of equipment

While scholars debate 
( the significance of social and economic factors )   leading   to the industrial revolution,
there can be no doubt that technological innovations 
such as 
-  the spinning jenny , 
-  the power loom , 
- smelting pig iron with coke in   blast furnaces  , and 
-  the steam engine  played a key role.

A. smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces
  Flaw  
- it Modifies smelling pigs, which is a verb, we need noun modifier.
- breaks parallelism list by use of Noun, Noun,   Verb  , and Noun

B. the blast furnaces for smelting pig iron with coke
  Improvement  
- Modify The Blast furnace, which is noun
- Parallelism is maintained with list of verb, with "the" article.

C. the use of blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke
  Flaw :  
- it modify Verb "Use of"
- Parallelism is not maintained

D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces
  Flaw :  
- it modify the verb "smelting of", grammatical, "the" article used to introduce verb smelting is wrong too.
- Parallelism not maintained

E. pig iron being smelt in blast furnaces with coke
  Flaw  
- Pig iron is a product, and above list don't compare with product but makes a list of parallelism of equipment.
- sentence also try to mean - Pig iron smelt in blast on their own with coke due to word "being"

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huongguyen · Answer

While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors leading to the industrial revolution, there can be no doubt that technological innovations such as  the spinning jenny ,  the power loom ,  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and the steam engine played a key role.

Parrallelism testing. => A, E: Out right away
The spinning jenny, the power loom = physical things
A.  smelting  pig iron with coke in blast furnaces 
B. the blast furnaces  for smelting  pig iron with coke 
C.  the use of  blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke -->  "the use of..." = abstract noun. It's not parallel in terms of meaning  
D. the smelting of pig iron with coke in blast furnaces -->  "the smelting..." is more about ways of using sth. It's not parallel in terms of meaning  
E.  pig iron being  smelt in blast furnaces with coke

IMO: B

ostrick5465 · Answer

While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors leading to the industrial revolution, there can be no doubt that technological innovations such as the spinning jenny, the power loom,  smelting pig iron with coke in blast furnaces , and the steam engine played a key role.

spinning jenny, : Noun - thing - example of innovation
the power loom, : Noun - thing - example of innovation

A.  smelting pig iron with  coke in blast furnaces=> Eliminate
B.  the blast furnaces for  smelting pig iron with coke => Thing =>  Good parallel 
C.  the use of  blast furnaces in order to smelt pig iron with coke => Noun - An Action => Eliminate
D.  the smelting of  pig iron with coke in blast furnaces => Method => Eliminate
E.  pig iron being smelt  in blast furnaces with coke => Eliminate

IMO B

sanjitscorps18 · Answer

Hi Bunuel, I don't think the explanation given for option D matches the answer choice. For that reason option B makes a better choice even though one could argue that it changes the meaning.

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While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors

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While scholars debate the significance of social and economic factors

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