<p>Hi, I am quite weak with my English and have quite a few questions here. I need the explanation to why the answers are wrong. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Question 1 to 5 are Sentence corrections
1.
Growing up in a family where music was a daily part of life, Steve & Rick shared a determination to become singing duos known nationwide.
Ans: to become a singing duo
Question: what about "of becoming a singing duo"? Why is it incorrect?</p>
<p>2.
Many of the instruments used in early operations of the United Army Signal Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph.
Ans: Corps, and in particular the heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plain Indains.
Questions: Why is the original wrong?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Scientists predicted technological changes in the next century, they will be as dramatic as was the development of the transcontinental railway in the last century.
Ans: century as dramatic as
Question: Why is the original wrong?</p></li>
<li><p>With Billions of tons yet to be mined, some argue that coal conservation measures are unnecessary.
Ans: Because billions of tons are coal are
Question: What about "By considering that there are billions of tons"</p></li>
<li><p>Surface mining is safer, quicker, and cheaper than deep mining, but the greater is its toll in human misery.
Ans: its toll in human misery is greater
Questions: What about "it has a greater human misery toll"</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Question 6 and 7 are Identifying Error questions, please help to explain why the underlined portions are wrong, thanks.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Conflicts between land developers and conservationists have repeatedly arose, causing congress to reconsider legislation that prohibits building within habitats of endangered species.</p></li>
<li><p>Quick to take advantage of Melanie Johnson's preoccupation in the history of the Johnson family, the genealogist proposed investigating that history for a large fee.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>That's all I have now, thanks for your time.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if that can be clear enough, but I’ll try my best.</p>
<p>1) determination of means ascertainment after investigation or observation;however, determination to means fixed purpose. in your sentence it has the second meaning: “they wanna be a singing duo”. actually the mistake isn’t in determination to, but it is in the plural word “duos”. the definition of duo is a couple… which means it is a group of two, hence duo perfectly agrees with the subject “steve and rick”.</p>
<p>2)it is wrong because the “particularly that of the heliograph” should be closer to the first part of the sentence to modify “many of the instruments”.</p>
<p>3)first of all… those are two sentences so they can’t be related by a comma. “they” is ambiguous… and the form of as…as should be in a parallel structure… </p>
<p>4) because you missed the correct relation between the two parts of the sentence: the sentence here is a cause and effect structure. </p>
<p>5)" its" refers to surface mining… it should be in the possessive form… I think this is also related to parallel structure or so… we are referring to the surface mining’s toll. </p>
<p>6) have arisen. not have arose.</p>
<p>For number 7, are you sure the underlined phrase wasn’t “preoccupation in?” The correct idiom is preoccupation with.</p>
<p>For number 7, are you sure the underlined phrase wasn’t “preoccupation in?” The correct idiom is preoccupation with.</p>
<p>Thanks guys. That was a big help.
to Subsidize: Yes, it’s suppose to be preoccupation in, my mistake for not underlining it.</p>
<p>By the way, a bit more queries.</p>
<p>2.
Many of the instruments used in early operations of the United Army Signal Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph.
Can’t “particularly that of the heliograph.” be used to modify “equipment used by the Plains Indians”? Making heliograph a subset of the equipment. Would it still be grammatically sound?</p>
<p>3.
The corrected version:
Scientists predicted technological changes in the next century as dramatic as was the development of the transcontinental railway in the last century.</p>
<p>Would it be better to add “to be” into the sentence, making it</p>
<p>Scientists predicted technological changes in the next century “to be” as dramatic as was the development of the transcontinental railway in the last century.</p>
<p>Somehow, the original just sounds strange to me.
Thanks for your help once again.</p>
<p>Exactly. In the original sentence in question 2, there was ambiguity over whether the heliograph was a modern invention or an older one used by the Plains Indians. That’s why you have to choose an answer that eliminates the ambiguity.</p>
<p>“I hope for games as fun as the ones we played yesterday.” You wouldn’t say “I hope for games to be as fun as the ones we played yesterday.” The reason is probably that hoping or predicting already conveys a sense of the future, and adding “to be” would be redundant. Just a guess.</p>