Style manual: Archaic spellings and styles of punctuation

Question

Style manual: Archaic spellings and styles of punctuation in direct quotations from older works are to be preserved if they occur infrequently and do not interfere with a reader’s comprehension. However, if they occur frequently, the editor may modernize them, inserting a note with an explanation to this effect in the text, or if similar modernizing has been done in more than one quotation, inserting a general statement in the preface. On the other hand, obvious typographical errors in quotations from modern works may be corrected without explanation. Which one of the following follows logically from the statements above?

(A) If an editor corrects the spelling of a quoted word and the word occurs only once in the text, then an explanation should appear in a note or in the text. 
(B) An editor may modernize an archaic spelling of a word found in a modern work without providing an explanation. 
(C) An editor should modernize an archaic spelling of a word that is quoted from an older work if the spelling interferes with reader comprehension. 
(D) An editor may modernize punctuation directly quoted from an older work if that punctuation occurs frequently and interferes with reader comprehension.
 (E) If an editor modernizes only one of several similar instances of quoted archaic punctuation, an explanation should appear in the preface of the work.

aurobindomahanty · Answer

yes answer is D .Can you please provide explanation

arvind910619 · Answer

IMO D
Option D is directly stated in the passage"  However, if they occur frequently, the editor may modernize them, inserting a note with an explanation to this effect in the text, or if similar modernizing has been done in more than one quotation, inserting a general statement in the preface. "
 
Option C is a trap as it makes it necessary for the editors to modernize older work if it hinders comprehension ; it is very strong .
Option D on the other hand is not that harsh and can be clearly inferred from the argument.
Hope this helps.

veteranrookie · Answer

This question was fairly easy as we just need to understand the rules why the 'editing' would happen. And (D) directly follows the statements given in the paragraph.

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CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Here is what the style manual is saying --

If archaic spellings & punctuation in direct quotations from older works OCCUR INFREQUENTLY AND DO NOT INTERFERE WITH COMPREHENSION --> Preserved

If they OCCUR FREQUENTLY --> May be Modernized with an explanatory note (If similar modernizing has been done in MORE THAN ONE QUOTATION --> Insert a general statement in the preface).

On the other hand,

Obvious typographical errors in quotations from modern works --> Corrected without explanation

let us take a look at the answer options --

Option A - Incorrect

Not necessarily. If the quotation is from a modern work and is an obvious typo, then no such explanation is needed.

Option B - Incorrect

We cannot infer this. We can only infer about "obvious typographical errors in quotations from modern works". Not about archaic spellings in them.

Option C - Incorrect

this option says this -- 
 If it interferes with comprehension --> Modernize an archaic spelling of a word that is quoted from an older work  (this is actually an incorrect negation of condition #1)

Furthermore, the argument talks about "direct quotes". this option does not.

Option D - Correct answer

This can be derived from condition #2. "may modernize" broadens the scope (condition #2 mentions what happens when they occur frequently. It does not talk about what happens when they also interfere with reader comprehension. probably the editor will modernize the punctuation. "may modernize" captures all possibilities).

Option E - Incorrect

Not true. This will be true if modernization is done more than once.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Style manual: Archaic spellings and styles of punctuation

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Style manual: Archaic spellings and styles of punctuation

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