Focusing across several generations, Alex Haley wrote Roots, a novel

Question

Focusing across several generations , Alex Haley wrote Roots, a novel explaining both his family history and the history of American bigotry.

A. Focusing across several generations

B. Centering around several generations

C. Living through several generations

D. With an eye on several generations

E. Telling of several generations

OA - E. Focusing across is idiomatically incorrect and also logically unsound (focusing on is better). The only choice that is both idiomatically correct and preserves the meaning of the original is E.

321kumarsushant · Answer

Focusing across several generations, Alex Haley wrote Roots, a novel explaining both his family history and the history of American bigotry.

A. Focusing across several generations
B. Centering around several generations
C. Living through several generations
D. With an eye on several generations
E. Telling of several generations

could not find any loophole. will go with A.

amazer · Answer

A. "Focusing across": Does not sound like a proper idiom. "Focusing on" is right.
B. "Centering around several" - illogical
C. How can he live through several generations - illogical
E. "Telling of" - Wrong
D. only option left. May not be the best sounding clause, but among the choices, it looks the better option.

D for me

DesiGmat · Answer

Here we go:

a novel explaining both  his family history  and the history of American bigotry.

A -Focusing across several generations - This can mean several generations are in front of Alex, and he is literally focusing on all of them.

B. Centering around several generations - Alex is not centering across several generation but the novel

C. Living through several generations - Alex lived through several generations because the novel explains his family history.
 ---- Hold it----

D. With an eye on several generations----- Irrelevant -------

E. Telling of several generations - Alex didn't write novel while telling of several generations. Moreover, it has to be the content of the novel that will tell.

According to me, Option C is correct.

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,
there has been a bit of discussion on this Q over D and E..

Non underlined portion starts with Alex, so the phrase should modify The writer, Alex..

lets see the choices--
 A. Focusing across several generations 
Clearly a prson cannot be focussing across, Focussing on, would have been correct

B. Centering around several generations 
Again wrong modifier, Alex cannot be centering around something, It can be the novel which can be centering around a topic..

C. Living through several generations 
Illogical meaning

D. With an eye on several generations 
With an eye on -- means to look for an opportunity to take some benefit out of a situation for personal gain
example-- With an eye on next elections, Mr x announced the y scheme..
Although "With an eye on several generations" correctly modifies Alex but is illogical in meaning

E. Telling of several generations 
Alex cannot be tellinf of several generations, the novel can be telling about something..

So, there is nothing to choose from here, BUT would surely love to hear about the SOURCE

ExpertsGlobal5 · Answer

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-

Choice A:  This answer choice utilizes the incorrect idiom form "Focussing across"; the correct form of this idiom is "focussing on". Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice B:  This answer choice incorrectly modifies the phrase "Alex Haley wrote Roots" with the phrase "Centering around several generations"; neither the noun "Alex Haley" nor the action "wrote" can logically be said to center across generations. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice C:  This answer choice changes the meaning of the sentence by modifying the phrase "Alex Hayley wrote Roots" with the phrase "Living through several generations"; the intended meaning of the sentence is that Alex Haley wrote Roots, a novel about the history of his family spanning several generations. This answer choice implies that Haley lived across several generations and simultaneously wrote Roots. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice D:  This answer choice commits an error similar to the one found in Option C, in its use of the modifying phrase "With an eye on several generations"; this phrase implies that Haley observed several generations and simultaneously wrote Roots. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Choice E:  This answer choice maintains idiomatic correctness throughout the sentence and conveys the intended meaning of the sentence. Thus, this answer choice is correct.

Hence, E is the best answer choice.

All the best!
Experts' Global Team

VerbalBot · Answer

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Focusing across several generations, Alex Haley wrote Roots, a novel

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Focusing across several generations, Alex Haley wrote Roots, a novel

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