Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendanc

Question

Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendance at the International Symposium on Unexplained Phenomena in Deep Space Studies  have written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers  who have studied the object closely agree that it is a comet.

A. have written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers

B. have written an open letter stating that the interstellar object, newly discovered, is an alien space probe, most astronomers

C. has written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, but most astronomers

D. has written an open letter stating that the discovery of a new interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers

E. has written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers

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divyadna · Answer

Contingent is a collective noun, so the verb used should be singular.
Reject A and B based on SVA error.

Option C:Although...but is wrong construction. BUT is redundant here. Reject C

D vs E
Option D: has written an open letter stating that the discovery of a new interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers

Subject should be the Interstellar object and not the discovery of it.

Reject D.
Option E is the correct answer IMO.

Option E:Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendance at the International Symposium on Unexplained Phenomena in Deep Space Studies has written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers who have studied the object closely agree that it is a comet.

This option is error free and conveys the intended meaning very well.

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RICHA1189 · Answer

Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendance at the International Symposium on Unexplained Phenomena in Deep Space Studies have written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers who have studied the object closely agree that it is a comet.

Split 1# contingent is singular .. usage of HAS is correct
Eliminate A and B

Split 2 # 2 dependent clauses - comma splice ..  although…. But …

A.  have  written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers

B.  have  written an open letter stating that the interstellar object, newly discovered, is an alien space probe, most astronomers

C. has written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe,  but  most astronomers

D.  has  written an open letter stating that  the discovery  of a new interstellar object  is an alien space probe , most astronomers  illogical statement 
E.  has  written an open letter stating that the  newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe , most astronomers  correct

Answer E

Bunuel · Answer

KAPLAN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

STEP 1: READ THE ORIGINAL SENTENCE CAREFULLY, LOOKING FOR ERRORS 
The underlined portion of the sentence begins with the verb “have written,” and a quick scan of the choices reveals that some retain this verb, while others change it to the singular form “has written.” This 3-2 split signals that the sentence may lack proper subject-verb agreement. To check for this error, go back to the sentence and find the subject for the verb “have written.” While the word “experts” is immediately before the verb, “experts” is not the subject because it is part of a prepositional phrase (“of self-described experts”). The subject is the group of people who wrote the letter, which in this case is “the contingent.” Because “contingent” is a singular noun, the verb should be in its singular form (“has written”).

STEP 2: SCAN AND GROUP THE ANSWER CHOICES 
(A) and (B) use “have written,” while (C), (D), and (E) use “has written.”

STEP 3: ELIMINATE CHOICES UNTIL ONLY ONE REMAINS 
(B) retains the original error, so both (A) and (B) can be eliminated immediately. (C) adds the contrast key word “but” before the phrase “most astronomers,” but this is incorrect because the original sentence starts with a similar key word (“ lthough”) that fully explains the relationship between the two clauses. (D) changes the meaning of the sentence, suggesting that is it the “discovery” rather than the object itself that is an alien space probe. (E) fixes the original mistake without making any new ones, and thus it is correct. Read it into the sentence to verify:

Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendance at the International Symposium on Unexplained Phenomena in Deep Space Studies  have written an open letter stating that the newly discovered interstellar object is an alien space probe, most astronomers  who have studied the object closely agree that it is a comet.

Shruti2598 · Answer

In option A - "Although the contingent of self-described experts who are"
Plural verb "are is used" which gives hint that the subject is plural. Hence, "have been" in option A should be correct only. 
Please explain

Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendanc

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Although the contingent of self-described experts who are in attendanc

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