GMAT Sentence Correction 113, 114

113). Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A) extending

(B) extends

(C) extended

(D) it extended

(E) is extending

114). Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

A. persisting

B. persists

C. persisted

D. they persist

E. are persisting

Answers:

113). A is the correct answer. This question tests the use of present vs past participle.

Subject in the given sentence is filigree

The filigree spawned by X not mentioned in the sentence some 10,000 years ago. Thus the use of past participle. Further, spawned by denotes passive voice which justifies the use of past participle.
As for the extending, it is still prevailing today in the Michigan forest so you cannot use past participle extended.

The present and past participles are used to describe the filigree, they act as adjectives

114). OA - A - This question again tests the use of present vs past participle
In the given sentence, we can clearly see that for the 1st participial phrase, the action of created happened in the past and is passive. The second participial phrase starting with persisting implies that the atoms and molecules are still persisting in the present, they are performing the action of "persisting" hence the use of present participle.

B - incorrect - violates parallelism (2nd participial phrase becomes a clause)

C - incorrect - use of persisted is wrong - illogically suggests that atoms no longer persisted

D - incorrect - violating parallelism

E - incorrect - violating parallelism (2nd participial phrase becomes a clause)

SC's Question number - 819 , 820

819. The residents’ opposition to the spraying program has rekindled an old debate among those who oppose the use of pesticides and those who feel that the pesticides are necessary to save the trees.

(A) among those who oppose the use of pesticides and

(B) between those who oppose the use of pesticides and

(C) among those opposing the use of pesticides with

(D) between those who oppose the use of pesticides with

(E) among those opposing the use of pesticides and

820). The rise in the Commerce Department’s index of leading economic indicators suggest that the economy should continue its expansion into the coming months, but that the mixed performance of the index’s individual components indicates that economic growth will proceed at a more moderate pace than in the first quarter of this year.

(A) suggest that the economy should continue its expansion into the coming months, but that

(B) suggest that the economy is to continue expansion in the coming months, but

(C) suggests that the economy will continue its expanding in the coming months, but that

(D) suggests that the economy is continuing to expand into the coming months, but that

(E) suggests that the economy will continue to expand in the coming months, but

Answers:

819). OA - B

A, C, E - incorrect - use of among

D - incorrect - use of with

820). OA - E - OG 10th Ques number 28

A, B - incorrect - subject verb agreement - The rise(singular)....suggest(plural)...

A,C, D - incorrect - the that appearing after but creates a subordinate clause where an independent clause is needed for the new subject, mixed performance

D - incorrect - unidiomatic - into the coming months

SC's Question number - 821 , 822

821. The rising of costs of data-processing operations at many financial institutions has created a growing opportunity for independent companies to provide these services more efficiently and at lower cost.

(A) The rising of costs

(B) Rising costs

(C) The rising cost

(D) Because the rising cost

(E) Because of rising costs

822. The root systems of most flowering perennials either become too crowded, which results in loss in vigor, and spread too far outward, producing a bare center.

(A) which results in loss in vigor, and spread

(B) resulting in loss in vigor, or spreading

(C) with the result of loss of vigor, or spreading

(D) resulting in loss of vigor, or spread

(E) with a resulting loss of vigor, and spread

Answers:

821). OA - C

A - incorrect - the rising of costs - unidiomatic

B - incorrect - subject verb agreement - Rising costs .....has...

D, E - incorrect - sentence fragment - since because makes the clause subordinate rather than independent

822). OA - D
OE from OG 10th - Ques number 78
Choice A misuses which: as a relative pronoun, which should refer to a specific noun rather than to the action of an entire clause. A also produces the unidiomatic and illogical construction either... and.
Choice B properly uses a verb phrase (resulting ...) instead of which to modify the action of the first clause and also correctly completes either with or, but the verbs following either and or are not parallel: spreading must be spread to
match become.
Choice C is flawed by the nonparallel verb spreading and the wordy phrase that begins with the result of.
Choice E is similarly wordy and uses and where or is required.

SC's Question number - 823 , 824

823). The Rorschzch test is gaining new respect as a diagnostic tool because it takes only one hour to expose behavior and thought processes that may be unlikely to emerge in other procedures or weeks of ordinary interviewing

(A) that may be unlikely to emerge in other procedures or weeks of ordinary interviewing

(B) whose emergence is unlikely in other procedures or weeks of ordinary interviews

(C) that might not emerge in other procedures or in weeks of ordinary interviews

(D) that may not emerge under other procedures or weeks of ordinary interviews

(E) unlikely not to emerge during weeks of ordinary interviewing or in other procedures

824). The rules that govern political contributions are less stringent in local elections than they are in national elections because they typically involve smaller amounts of money and present less opportunity for abuse

(A) The rules that govern political contributions are less stringent in local elections than they are in national elections because they typically involve smaller amounts of money and present less opportunity for abuse.

(B) Because they typically involve smaller amounts of money and present less opportunity for abuse, the rules that govern political contributions are less stringent in local elections than the rules are less stringent in local elections than the rules are in national elections.

(C) The rules that govern political contributions are less stringent in local elections than national elections because they typically involve smaller amounts of money and present less opportunity for abuse.

(D) Because local elections typically involve smaller amounts of money and present less opportunity for abuse than national elections, the rules that govern local political contributions are less stringent than national contributions.

E) The rules that govern political contributions are less stringent in local elections than they are in national elections because local elections typically involve smaller amounts of money and present less opportunity for abuse


Answers: 823). OA - C - parallelism - unlikely to emerge in X or in Y

A - incorrect - redundancy error. Also violating parallelism

B - incorrect - passive

D - incorrect - use of emerge under is not appropriate here

E - incorrect - double negative...unlikely and not

824). OA - E

A, B - incorrect - pronoun error

C, D - incorrect - wrong comparison

SC's Question number - 825 , 826

825). The sale of government surplus machinery will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until the supply lasts.

(A) will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until the supply lasts

(B) begins at 9 a.m., continuing until the supply lasts

(C) will begin at 9 a.m. and, until the supply lasts, will continue

(D) begins at 9 a.m. and, as long as the supply may last, it continues

(E) will begin at 9 a.m. and continue as long as the supply lasts

826). The school board ruling mandating that physically handicapped students be placed in regular classroom settings whenever possible also assured all children who have a reading problem of special aid.

(A) be placed in regular classroom settings whenever possible also assured all children who have a reading problem

(B) should be placed in regular classroom settings whenever possible also assures all children that have a reading problem

(C) are placed in regular classroom settings whenever possible also assures those children who are having reading problems

(D) be placed in regular classroom settings whenever possible also assured children with reading problems

(E) should be placed in regular classroom settings whenever possible also has assured all those children with a reading problem

Answers:

825). OA - E - use of as long as is fine - until vs as long as

A, B, C - incorrect - use of until is wrong - the point of time in future (until the supply lasts) is not known/ certain

D - incorrect - wordy and awkward

826). OA - D - Subjunctive verb

A - incorrect - wordy ....who have a reading problem

B, E - incorrect - word should not required

C - incorrect - violating parallelism .....placed...assures....Also in a subjunctive sentence the verb is always of a form be

SC's Question number - 827 , 828

827). The science of economics, which for four decades was dominated by Keynesians, who at first stressed the government's role in stimulating the economy, but who were ultimately led away from solutions based on government intervention.

(A) economics, which for four decades was

(B) economics that was to be

(C) economics, one which has, for four decades, been

(D) economics is one that for four decades has been

(E) economics, for four decades, is one that was

828). The Senate approved immigration legislation that would grant permanent residency to millions of aliens currently residing here and if employers hired illegal aliens they would be penalized.

(A) if employers hired illegal aliens they would be penalized

(B) hiring illegal aliens would be a penalty for employers

(C) penalize employers who hire illegal aliens

(D) penalizing employers hiring illegal aliens

(E) employers to be penalized for hiring illegal aliens

Answers:

827). OA - D

A, B, C - incorrect - lacking independent clause - in other words the independent clause is lacking the primary verb (The science of economics)

E - incorrect - use of past tense is wrong - we need to use present perfect tense here

828). OA - C - parallelism - ...grant...penalize... - would grant X and (would) penalize Y

A, B - incorrect - violating parallelism. Further they in choice A is ambiguous and hiring illegal aliens would be a penalty in choice B is illogical

D - incorrect - violating parallelism - ....grant....penalizing...

E - incorrect - passive

SC's Question number - 829 , 830

829). The speculative fever of the Roaring Twenties infected rich and poor alike; vast quantities of people were dangerously overextended, credit was absurdly easy to obtain, and most brokerage houses required only ten percent cash for stocks bought on "margin"

(A) rich and poor alike; vast quantities of people were dangerously over extended

(B) both rich and poor alike; large amounts of people dangerously over extended themselves

(C) rich and poor alike; great numbers of people were dangerously over extended

(D) both rich and poor alike; vast amounts of people dangerously over extended themselves

(E) both rich and poor; great quantities of people were dangerously over extended

830). The spraying of pesticides can be carefully planned, but accidents, weather conditions that could not be foreseen, and pilot errors often cause much larger deposits of spray than they had anticipated.

(A) weather conditions that could not be foreseen, and pilot errors often cause much larger deposits of spray than they had

(B) weather conditions that cannot be foreseen, and pilot errors often cause much larger deposits of spray than

(C) unforeseeable weather conditions, and pilot errors are the cause of much larger deposits of spray than they had

(D) weather conditions that are not foreseeable, and pilot errors often cause much larger deposits of spray than

(E) unforeseeable weather conditions, and pilot errors often cause much larger deposits of spray than they had

Answers:

829). OA - C

A - incorrect - use of vast is wrong - vast used with varieties/ differences

B, D - incorrect - use of amount wrong - amount is used with uncountable nouns

E - incorrect - changes the meaning - missing the word alike

830). OA - B

A,C,E - incorrect - ambiguous they

D - incorrect - foreseeable is an adjective and cannot be used as the object of a sentence

SC's Question number - 831 , 832

831). The study undertaken by Department of the Interior will involve examination and tagging of the California condor in order to obtain information about their daily movements, foraging habits, and sites where they nest

(A) their daily movements, foraging habits, and sites where they nest

(B) their daily movements, foraging habits, and their nesting sites

(C) its daily movements, foraging habits, and nesting sites

(D) its daily movements, foraging habits, and about nesting sites

(E) daily movements, foraging habits, and sites in which there are nests

832). The supply of oil being finite has become an economical and political consideration of the first magnitude for all modern industrial nations.

(A) The supply of oil being finite has become an economical

(B) The finite supply of oil has become an economical

(C) That the supply of oil is finite has become an economical

(D) The supply of oil being finite has become an economic

(E) That the supply of oil is finite has become an economic

Answers:

831). OA - C

A, B - incorrect - pronoun error ....their is wrong

D - incorrect - wordy - about nesting sites

E - incorrect - wordy - there are

832). OA - E

A, B, C - incorrect - economical is wrong - economical means thrifty

D - incorrect - passive

SC's Question number - 833 , 834

833). The Supreme Court's concern with legitimacy is not for the sake of the court but the nation to which it is responsible.

(A) but the nation to which it is responsible

(B) but for the sake of the nation to which it is responsible

(C) so much as the nation it is responsible to

(D) as the nation it is responsible to

(E) but the nation

834). The suspect in the burglary was advised of his right to remain silent, told he could not leave, and was interrogated in a detention room.

(A) of his right to remain silent, told he could not leave, and was

(B) of his right to remain silent, told he could not leave, and

(C) of his right to remain silent and that he could not leave and

(D) that he had a right to remain silent, could not leave, and was

(E) that he had a right to remain silent, that he could not leave, and was

Answers:

833). OA - B - parallelism - .....not for...but for....

834). OA - B - parallelism - ...was advised.....told....interrogated...

SC's Question number - 835 , 836

835). The task force is reviewing the company's hiring practices for the determination of whether they are meeting the requirements set by the Office of Equal Opportunity

(A) for the determination of whether they are meeting the requirements set by the Office of Equal Opportunity

(B) for the determining of whether or not it meets the requirement set by the Office of Equal Opportunity

(C) for the determining of whether the requirements set by the Office of Equal Opportunity are being met or not

(D) determining whether the requirements set by the Office of Equal Opportunity are met

(E) to determine whether they meet the requirements set by the Office of Equal Opportunity

836). The technical term "pagination" is a process that leaves editors, instead of printers, assemble the page images that become the metal or plastic plates used in printing.

(A) is a process that leaves editors, instead of printers, assemble

(B) refers to a process that allows editors, rather than printers, to assemble

(C) is a process leaving the editors, rather than printers, to assemble

(D) refers to a process which allows editors, but not to printers, the assembly of

(E) has reference to the process leaving to editors, instead of the printer, assembling

Answers:

835). OA - E - To determine is the correct idiom

A, B, C - incorrect - weird construction and unidiomatic determining of

B, C - incorrect - redundant whether or not

D - incorrect - company's hiring practices determining - changes the meaning

836). OA - B

A, C - incorrect - illogically states the term is a process

D - incorrect - use of which is wrong

E - incorrect - use of instead of

SC's Question number - 837 , 838

837). The themes that Rita Dove explores in her poetry is universal, encompassing much of the human condition while occasionally deals with racial issues.

(A) is universal, encompassing much of the human condition while occasionally deals

(B) is universal, encompassing much of the human condition, also occasionally it deals

(C) are universal, they encompass much of the human condition and
occasionally deals

(D) are universal, encompassing much of the human condition while occasionally dealing

(E) are universal, they encompass much of the human condition, also occasionally are dealing

838). The underlying physical principles that control the midair gyrations of divers and gymnasts are the same as the body orientation controlling astronauts in a weightless environment

(A) as the body orientation controlling

(B) as the body orientation which controls

(C) as those controlling the body orientation of

(D) ones to control the body orientation of

(E) ones used in controlling the body orientation of

Answers:

837). OA - D

A, B - incorrect - subject verb agreement - .....themes(plural)...is(singular)...

C - incorrect - subject verb agreement - ...they(plural)...deals(singular)...

E - incorrect - wordy; lacking parallelism

838). OA - C

A, B - incorrect - violating parallelism; wrong comparison

D, E - incorrect - missing as

SC's Question number - 839 , 840

839). The United States government employs a much larger proportion of women in trade negotiations than any government.

(A) a much larger proportion of women in trade negotiations than any

(B) a much larger proportion of women in trade negotiations than does any other

(C) much larger proportions of women in trade negotiations than has any

(D) proportions of women in trade negotiations that are much larger than any

(E) proportions of women in trade negotiations that are much larger than any other

840). The United States petroleum industry’s cost to meet environmental regulations is projected at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum by the end of the decade

(A) The United States petroleum industry’s cost to meet environmental regulations is projected at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum by the end of the decade.

(B) The United States petroleum industry’s cost by the end of the decade to meet environmental regulations is estimated at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum.

(C) By the end of the decade, the United States petroleum industry’s cost of meeting environmental regulations is projected at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum.

(D) To meet environmental regulations, the cost to the United States petroleum industry is estimated at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum by the end of the decade.

(E) It is estimated that by the end of the decade the cost to the United States petroleum industry of meeting environmental regulations will be ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum.

Answers:

839). OA - B - correct comparison

840). OA - E

A, B - incorrect - misplaced modifier - end of decade

B - incorrect - changes the meaning

C - incorrect - wrong tense

D - incorrect - modifier error

SC's Question number - 841 , 842

841). The unprecedented increases in the prime lending rate this year has probably been brought about by business community's uncertainty about the President's position on the budget deficit.

(A) in the prime lending rate this year has

(B) this year in the prime lending rate has

(C) this year in the prime lending rate having

(D) in the prime lending rate this year had

(E) in the prime lending rate this year have

842). The unskilled workers at the Allenby plant realized that their hourly rate of $4.11 to $4.75 was better than many nearby factory wages.

(A) many nearby factory wages

(B) many wages in nearby factories

(C) what are offered by many nearby factories

(D) it is in many nearby factories

(E) that offered by many nearby factories


Answers:

41). OA - E

A, B - incorrect - subject verb agreement..unprecedented increases(plural) ...has(singular)

C - incorrect - awkward

D - incorrect - wrong tense

42). OA - E

A - incorrect - awkward - nearby factory wages

B - incorrect - wrongly comparing hourly rate with many wages

C - incorrect subject verb agreement ...rate(singular)...are(plural)...

D - incorrect - wrong tense

SC's Question number - 843 , 844

843). The use of chemical pesticides in this country is equally extensive or more so than ten years ago.

(A) equally extensive or more so than ten years ago

(B) equal to or more extensive than ten years ago

(C) as extensive as ten years ago or more

(D) equal to, if not more, than ten years ago

(E) as extensive as it was ten years ago, if not more so

844). The use of gravity waves, which do not interact with matter in the way electromagnetic waves do, hopefully will enable astronomers to study the actual formation of black holes and neutron stars.

(A) in the way electromagnetic waves do, hopefully will enable

(B) in the way electromagnetic waves do, will, it is hoped, enable

(C) like electromagnetic waves, hopefully will enable

(D) like electromagnetic waves, would enable, hopefully

(E) such as electromagnetic waves do, will, it is hoped, enable

Answers:

843). OA - E

A, B, C, D - incorrect - comparing extensive use to ten years

844). OA - B

A - incorrect - use of hopefully wrong

C, D - incorrect - wrong comparison - comparing interaction of gravity waves with electromagnetic waves

E - incorrect - use of such as is wrong. Also wrong comparison

Note: Use of the word hopefully is always wrong on GMAT.
Hopefully is an adverb meaning "in a hopeful way" and can only modify another adverb, verb or adjective. When we want to express a statement about what is desired, "it is hoped" is always better usage than "hopefully"

SC's Question number - 845 , 846

845). The utility company has announced that it will permanently close its Unit I nuclear power plant, the first plant that had been built by private industry and the model for a generation of modern nuclear reactors.

(A) that had been built by private industry and

(B) built by private industry and which was

(C) to be built by private industry and which was

(D) built by private industry and

(E) to have been built by private industry and was

846). The visiting pharmacologists concluded that the present amalgam of Chinese and Western medicine is probably as good, or better than, any system that might be devised for the patients who are treated at the Nan Kai hospital in Tian-jing.

(A) as good, or better than, any system that might be devised for the patients who are

(B) as good, or better, than any system that might be devised for patients being

(C) as good, or better than, any system that might be devised for patients which are being

(D) good as, or even better than, any other system that may be devised for the patients who are

(E) as good as, or better than, any other system that might be devised for the patients

Answers:

845). OA - D

A - incorrect - use of past perfect tense had been is wrong..(simple past tense is not present)

B, C - incorrect - use of was suggests that the plant is no longer a model for nuclear reactors.Also use of which is wrong

E - incorrect - present perfect continuous tense have been is wrong...illogically suggests that the private industry started building the plant in the past and is still building it

846). OA - E - idiomatic - as...as

A,B, C, D - incorrect - unidiomatic

SC's Question number - 847 , 848

847). The voluminous personal papers of Thomas Alva Edison reveal that his inventions typically sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly from previous works.

(A) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly

(B) sprang to life not in a flash of inspiration but were slowly evolved

(C) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but evolved slowly

(D) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but had slowly evolved

(E) did not spring to life in a flash of inspiration but they were slowly evolved

848). The Wallerstein study indicates that even after a decade young men and women still experience some of the effects of a divorce occurring when a child.

(A) occurring when a child

(B) occurring when children

(C) that occurred when a child

(D) that occurred when they were children

(E) that has occurred as each was a child

Answers:

847). OA - C - Explanation at the link below

GMAT Sentence Correction Q. No 86

848). OA - D - Explanation at the link below

GMAT Sentence Correction Q. No 65

SC's Question number - 849 , 850

849). The Western world's love affair with chocolate is well-documented: few people have been known to have tasted it for the first time without requesting more.

(A) few people have been known to have tasted it

(B) few having been known to taste it

(C) it has been tasted by few people

(D) few people have been known to taste it

(E) few people having tasted it

850). The winds that howl across the Great Plains not only blow away valuable topsoil, thereby reducing the potential crop yield of a tract of land, and also damage or destroy young plants.

(A) and also damage or destroy

(B) as well as damaging or destroying

(C) but they cause damage or destroy

(D) but also cause damage or destroy

(E) but also causing damage or destroying

Answers:

849). OA - D

A - incorrect - use of present perfect tense is wrong

B - incorrect - few incorrectly referring to chocolate

C - incorrect - passive

E - incorrect - 2nd clause is missing the verb

850). OA - D - correct - maintaining parallelism not only blow ...but also cause.

A, B, C - incorrect - violating parallelism - not only...but also...

E - incorrect - violating parallelism - not only blow....but also causing

SC's Question number - 851 , 852

851). The work of mathematician Roger Penrose in the early 1970s, on the geometry of what are called aperiodic tiles, turned out to describe the architecture of a previously unknown class of crystals.

(A) what are called aperiodic tiles, turned out to describe

(B) what is called aperiodic tiles, describes

(C) aperiodic tiles, describing

(D) so-called aperiodic tiles, describe

(E) aperiodic tiles, it turned out to describe

852). There are more than forty newspapers published in the cities of Kerala, a state on the Malabar Coast, which reflects the fact that Keralans are by far India’s most literate citizens.

(A) which reflects

(B) and that number reflects

(C) which reflect

(D) that number reflects

(E) that reflects

Answers:

851). OA - A

B - incorrect - ...tiles(plural)...describes(singular) - what + verb + subject ..in such constructions generally the number of verb is governed by the subject

C - incorrect - sentence fragment - The work.....describing

D - incorrect - subject verb agreement - here The work(singular subject)....describe(plural verb)

E - incorrect - ambiguous it - it can refer to work or geometry


852). OA - B - correct - and is required to join two independent clauses here

SC's Question number - 853 , 854

853). There has been a 30- to 40-fold increase in the incidence of malaria caused by increasing mosquito resistance against pesticides.

(A) increase in the incidence of malaria caused by increasing mosquito resistance against

(B) increase in the incidence of malaria because of increasing resistance of mosquitoes to

(C) increasing malaria incidence because of increasing resistance of mosquitoes to

(D) incidence of malaria increase caused by increasing mosquito resistance against

(E) incidence of malaria increase because of increased mosquito resistance to

854). There is ample evidence, derived from the lore of traditional folk medicine, that naturally occurring antibiotics are usually able to be modified to make them a more effective drug.

(A) are usually able to be modified to make them a more effective drug.

(B) are usually able to be modified to make them more effective drugs

(C) are usually able to be modified, which makes them more effective drugs

(D) can usually be modified to make them a more effective drug

(E) can usually be modified to make them more effective drugs

Answers:

853). OA - B

A- incorrect - Resistance against -- Redundant

C, D, E - incorrect - unidiomatic - 30-to-40 fold increase is the correct idiomatic usage

854). OA - E

A, D - incorrect - antibiotics....a more effective drug

B, C - incorrect - passive - be able to

SC's Question number - 855 , 856

855). There is growing demand in the state for “initiative and referendum,” a procedure that allows voters to propose and pass laws, as well as to repeal them.

(A) allows voters to propose and pass laws, as well as to repeal them

(B) allows voters to propose, pass, and to repeal laws

(C) allows voters to propose, to pass, and repeal laws

(D) will allow the voter to propose, pass, as well as to repeal laws

(E) will allow laws to be proposed, passed, as well as repealed by voters

856). There is no consensus on what role, if any, is played by acid rain in slowing the growth or damaging forests in the eastern United States.

(A) slowing the growth or damaging

(B) the damage or the slowing of the growth of

(C) the damage to or the slowness of the growth of

(D) damaged or slowed growth of

(E) damaging or slowing the growth of


Answer:

855). OA - A - ...to propose and pass laws as well as to repeal them

B, C, D - incorrect - violating parallelism

E - incorrect - passive; future tense will allow is wrong

856). OA - E - ques no 53 in OG 10th

A - incorrect - requires of after growth

B - incorrect - requires to after damage

C - incorrect - the slowness of does not convey the original sense that the rate of growth has been slowed by acid rain..

D - incorrect - changes the meaning of the sentence by making both 'damaged' and 'slowed' refer to growth.

SC's Question number - 857 , 858

857). There is speculation that increasing cold weather was what may have been responsible for the Anasazi move from Mesa Verde to sites in other canyons.

(A) that increasing cold weather was what may have been

(B) whether increasing cold weather was what was

(C) that increasingly cold weather was what had been

(D) whether increasingly cold weather may have been what was

(E) that increasingly cold weather may have been

858). There is substantial evidence that certain forms of solar energy either now or within a few years will be economically competitive with conventional sources of heat and power.

(A) either now or within a few years will be economically competitive with conventional sources of heat and power

(B) will either be economically competitive with conventional sources of heat and power within a few years or are so now

(C) will be economically competitive with conventional sources of heat and power either now or within a few years

(D) either are now economically competitive with conventional sources of heat and power or will be so within a few years

(E) are either now or will be within a few years economically competitive with conventional sources of heat and power


Answers:

857). OA - E - Speculation means Reasoning based on inconclusive evidence or supposition.hence may have been is getting along fine with speculation in the sentence. Further speculation that is the right idiom

A, B - incorrect - require increasingly (adverb) to modify cold (adjective), which is modifying weather (noun)

C - incorrect - Past perfect wrong. Present perfect continuous is required

D - incorrect - awkward - what was

858). OA - D

A - incorrect - ..now...will be

B, E - incorrect - either..or misplaced

C - incorrect - X will be competitive ....now....

SC's Question number - 859 , 860

859). Thomas Eakins' powerful style and his choices of subject—the advances in modern surgery, the discipline of sport, the strains of individuals in tension with society or even with themselves—was as disturbing to his own time as it is compelling for ours.

(A) was as disturbing to his own time as it is

(B) were as disturbing to his own time as they are

(C) has been as disturbing in his own time as they are

(D) had been as disturbing in his own time as it was

(E) have been as disturbing in his own time a

860). Those who come to church with a predisposition to religious belief will be happy in an auditorium or even a storefront, and there is no doubt that religion is sometimes better served by adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it.

(A) adapted spaces of this kind instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it

(B) adapted spaces like these rather than some of the buildings actually designed for them

(C) these adapted spaces instead of by some of the buildings actually designed for it

(D) such adapted spaces rather than by some of the buildings actually designed for them

(E) such adapted spaces than by some of the buildings actually designed for it


Answers:

859). OA - B

A, C, D - incorrect - subject verb agreement - style and his choices of subject (plural) ....it(singular)

E - incorrect - use of present perfect tense (have been) is wrong



860). OA - E - better requires than

A, C - incorrect - use of instead of is wrong. Further such is preferable to these for stating examples

B, D - incorrect - pronoun error - use of them is wrong

SC's Question number - 861 , 862

861). Those who enter marathons soon learn that, to succeed in these grueling competitive events, runners must be in excellent condition, have unshakable self-confidence, and, most important of all, know how to pace yourself.

(A) know how to pace yourself

(B) is knowing how to pace yourself

(C) know how to pace themselves

(D) you must pace yourself

(E) they must know how to pace themselves

862). Those with a cynical turn of mind might speculate if the new corporation, eager for profit, might not have started the rumor that caused its competitor to declare bankruptcy.

(A) speculate if the new corporation, eager for profit, might not have started

(B) speculate if the new corporation, eager for profit, had not started

(C) speculate if, in its eagerness for profit, the new corporation started

(D) wonder as to whether, in its eagerness for profit, the new corporation did not start

(E) wonder whether the new corporation, eager for profit, had started


Answers:

861). OA - C

A, B, D - incorrect - yourself is wrong

E - incorrect - violates parallelism

862). OA - E

A, B, C - incorrect - use of if - for whether vs if visit the link below

http://gmat-grammar.blogspot.com/2006/07/whether-vs-if.html

SC's Question number - 863 , 864

863). Though the term "graphic design" may suggest laying out corporate brochures and annual reports, they have come to signify widely ranging work, from package designs and company logotypes to signs, book jackets, computer graphics, and film titles.

(A) suggest laying out corporate brochures and annual reports, they have come to signify widely ranging

(B) suggest laying out corporate brochures and annual reports, it has come to signify a wide range of

(C) suggest corporate brochure and annual report layout, it has signified widely ranging

(D) have suggested corporate brochure and annual report layout, it has signified a wide range of

(E) have suggested laying out corporate brochures and annual reports, they have come to signify widely ranging

864). Three out of every four automobile owners in the United States also own a bicycle.

(A) Three out of every four automobile owners in the United States also own a bicycle.

(B) Out of every four, three automobile owners in the United States also owns a bicycle.

(C) Bicycles are owned by three out of every four owners of automobiles in the United States.

(D) In the United States, three out of every four automobile owners owns bicycles.

(E) Out of every four owners of automobiles in the United States, bicycles are also owned by three


Answers:

863). OA - B

A, E - incorrect - pronoun error - ..term(singular)....they (plural)

C, D - incorrect - changes the meaning

864). OA - A

B, D - incorrect - violating subject verb agreement - three out of every four(plural)......owns(singular verb)

C - incorrect - Passive

E - incorrect - changes the meaning by changing bicycle ( singular) to bicycles ( plural)