Bunuel wrote:
While Peregrine falcons are predators in the conventional sense, hunting and devouring other animals,
mostly birds, small mammals, and parrots, turn out to be no less bloodthirsty in their approach to feasting on plants.
A. mostly birds, small mammals, and parrots, turn
B. mostly birds and small mammals, yet parrots turn
C. mostly birds and small mammals, parrots turn
D. the majority of which are birds, small mammals, and parrots, turns
E. the majority of which are birds and small mammals, and parrots turn
VERITAS PREP OFFICIAL SOLUTION:
Whenever you see differences in how elements in a series or other parts of a sentence are linked together, you should focus on proper sentence construction. This example is primarily testing logical linking – are the two clauses put together in a way that is logical and grammatically correct? To assess logical linking, it is often important to use slash-and-burn to focus on the core meaning.
In this problem, you need to figure out when the first subordinate clause starting with “While” ends, and where the second clause begins. At first glance, it might seem that the first clause ends at “sense,” and that “hunting” is the noun for the next clause. However, “hunting” and what follows is a participial modifier giving extra information about how the falcons are predators in the conventional sense. The portion following “animals” is yet another modifier telling you what types of animals the falcon hunts and devours.
The key is to realize that the second modifier needs to end with “small animals” as “parrots” are the noun for the main clause. With the sentence simplified, you see that only (C) does this correctly: “While Peregrine falcons are predators in the conventional sense…, parrots turn out to be…” In (A) and (D) there is no subject for the verb “turns,” as parrots are incorrectly included in the list of what animals Peregrines hunt. You cannot say: “While Peregrine falcons are predators in the conventional sense…, turns out to be…” In (B) and (E) you cannot have a conjunction (“yet” or “and”) as this is also not a proper sentence: “While Peregrine falcons are predators in the conventional sense…, yet/and parrots turn out to be…” . Only (C) properly ends the first clause at “mammals” and starts the next clause with “parrots.”