<p>Hi there,
Can anyone explain me this question?</p>
<p>Chinese gardens shrink natural landscapes to diminutive [dimensions, for example, they often include] miniature mountains complete with peaks, valleys, and streams.
My answer: A) No error
Correct answer: C)dimensions, often including, for example,
Why?</p>
<p>A) (as it is) is the wrong answer choice because the sentence would then read:</p>
<p>Chinese gardens shrink natural landscapes to dimunitive dimensions**,**</p>
<p>for example, they often include miniature mountains complete with peaks, valleys and streams.</p>
<p>The boldfaced comma is not appropriate because it is in between two independent clauses, or two complete sentences. You may change the comma into a semicolon; however, that solution is not the case as described in the answer choice. Therefore you can also change the sentence into:</p>
<p>Chinese gardens shrink natural landscapes to dimunitive dimensions, often including [, for example,] miniature mountains complete with peaks, valleys and streams.</p>
<p>In the above sentence, “often” is an adverb which can be taken out without changing the meaning; “including” is a participial phrase that correctly modifies the noun “dimensions”. Perhaps you knocked out C because of the appositive in brackets () which may sound weird to your inner ear. However, the use of appositive in this sentence is correct because appositive phrases can be ignored without changing the fundamental idea of the sentence. So consider this simplified sentence below.</p>
<p>Chinese gardens shrink natural landscapes to diminutive dimensions, including miniature mountains complete with peaks, valleys, and streams.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. I understand my mistake now.</p>
<p>No problem. :)</p>
<p>Here is another one:</p>
<p>[After assessing] the form, color, size, and fragrance of the rose that Marantha [had grown,] the judges [declared] it superior to her [competitor.]
Why a mistake is in “competitor”? We don’t know that there were many competitors…</p>
<p>Because you are not comparing Marantha to her competitor. You are comparing the “form, color, size, and fragrance of the rose that Marantha had grown” to THOSE OF THE COMPETITOR.</p>
<p>Yes, I know that types of questions, but in this case it was a bit nefarious for international student like me. Anyway, thanks.</p>