Though the city had been bombed for fifty-seven nights in a

Question

Though the city had been bombed for fifty-seven nights in a row,  the Blitz and the refusal to surrender London afterward took on  almost mythic significance as evidence of British citizens’ ability to resist the will of Hitler and Nazi Germany.

a. the Blitz and the refusal to surrender London afterward took on
b. London’s Blitz and the refusal to surrender took after
c. the Blitz and the refusal of the city of London took over
d. London’s refusal to surrender after the Blitz took on
e. London’s refusal to surrender after the Blitz took up

RGM · Answer

Answer is D because A, B and C states that the Blitz itself demonstrates the British's ability to resist occupation and that's non-sensical. E's "took up" is not idiomatic in the context.

anandnat · Answer

But "the city" in D is talking about London and there is no London in the sentence - I see only London's. Please explain. Thanks!

RGM · Answer

I was actually expecting one of the choices to "isolate" London as the primary subject. I got the answer by process of elimination. Looking at the choices though, there are no choices that isolate "London" as the subject.

What do you guys think?

What do you guys think?

RGM · Answer

Btw, where did you get these questions? Just curious.

metallicafan · Answer

+1 D, tough one. What is the Blitz?

daagh · Answer

The blitz is the continuous bombing. The refusal to surrender even after such a horrendous attack is mythical. There is no mythical significance about the Blitz per se; at best, it can be called brutal.

The introductory sentence is a subordinate clause and not an adjectival moodier. So the city need not explicitly be referred by the proper noun of London. For the text to have the name of London to reflect, the introductory clause should be rephrased as: Though bombed for fifty-seven nights in a row, the city of London ………
Only D and E can contend and E is gone for using the wrong idiom - took up  -

Werewolf · Answer

I picked C.

Can u please suggest me where I can read more about subordinate clauses?

daagh · Answer

Werewolf: https://www.chompchomp.com/terms/subordinateclause.htm

jullysabat · Answer

Good Source..Was really helpful..

daagh · Answer

took on = assumed; in the absence of the MD, it was his secretary who took on the job
took up = physically took up ; such as taking up something from the ground; or took up new responsibilities- undertook new tasks

garimavyas · Answer

what is the difference between took on and took up , who decides on this kind of absurdity ?

Eden · Answer

Hmm..took me a couple of seconds to figure out what the Blitz is and why it couldn't be the evidence of resistance against Hitler. As for took up/took on-take up a position and take on certain quality/air

djonga · Answer

The first half of the sentence is a modifier that has to modify city London, and only"took on" is correct , D fits the bill, and hence is the answer.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Though the city had been bombed for fifty-seven nights in a

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Though the city had been bombed for fifty-seven nights in a

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615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

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