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Choose the option that best completes the underlined part of the sentence.

The ability of neuroscientists to pinpoint the exact locations in the brain where complex sensory responses to a variety of stimuli occur, such as a logic-based board game or a series of violent images, have become ever more precise The ability of neuroscientists has become ever more precise in pinpointing the exact locations in the brain where complex sensory responses to a variety of stimuli occur, such as a logic-based board game or a series of violent images Neuroscientists have become able to pinpoint ever more precisely the exact locations in the brain where occur complex sensory responses to such a variety of stimuli as a logic-based board game or a series of violent images Neuroscientists can pinpoint ever more precisely the exact brain locations where complex sensory responses are to occur, to such a variety of stimuli like a logic-based board game or a series of violent images Neuroscientists’ ability to pinpoint the exact brain locations in which complex sensory responses occur to a variety of stimuli as would be a logic-based board game or a series of violent images became ever more precisely so

Title

The ability of neuroscientists

Your Result

Correct

Difficulty

Very Hard

Your Pace

0:05

Others' Pace

2:00

Video Explanation

Text Explanation

Choice (A): Here, the subject is indirect, the “ability of neuroscientists.” Then, there’s modifiers & modifiers, and five miles away is the main verb, “have become.” The subject is singular and the verb is plural: a SVA mistake. This choice is incorrect.

Choice (B): The words “able” and “ability” idiomatically take an infinitive 100% of the time. Even when “ability” is the subject and the action is after the verb, the action still has to be in infinitive form. Here, we have the “ability … in pinpointing.” This is idiomatically wrong. This choice is incorrect.

Choice (C): This is a direct and well organized sentence. In the “where” clause, the verb elegantly comes before the subject, because that subject “complex sensory responses” is followed by a long noun modifier.

Choice (D): The phrasing “where … responses are to occur” is very strange. This phrasing suggests some preordained plan, as if we knew the fundamental designs of the human brain from on high. Everything about this phrasing is inconsistent with the nature of science and the subject of the sentence. This choice is incorrect.

Choice (E): As in (A), the main subject is “ability,” a punchless choice, and the verb is five miles away. The verb here is “became”: the past tense of this verb is inconsistent with the subject matter, which discusses current scientific research.

The only possible answer is (C).

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