<ol>
<li><p>(Having command of pathos, tragedy, as well as humor), George Eliot is considered to be a great English novelist.
A. SAME
E. Because of her command of pathos, tragedy, and humor
**E) is better because it keeps the parallel structure better, but is A) didn't have the "as well as" and just had "and" in its place, which would be correct? Both seem to be logically correct in those forms. Also, is this some kind of cause-effect construction (is the "Because of....." needed)</p></li>
<li><p>Richard Wright moved many times in his life, (moving from the South first he went to the North, then eventually to France from the United States).
A) SAME
C) first from the South to the North and eventually from the United States to France
D) moving first from the South, he came to the North and eventually to France.
E) first from the South he moved to the North and ended up in France after leaving the United States.
*this one just confuses me....</p></li>
<li><p>Social scientists (agree that) a system (for exchanging) goods and services is (not only) present but also (of necessity) in all societies. (NE)
*answer is D, but can anyone explain 'of necessity' vs. 'necessary'? </p></li>
<li><p>The quality of multivitamin tablets (is determined) by (how long) (its) potency (can be protected) by the manufacturer's coating material. (NE)
**I picked (its), the correct answer. My mental process was to eliminate 'of multi. tablets' because it's just a prep. phrase. Then I thought that 'its' should be 'the'. Is this correct?</p></li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>It is a myth that mathematicians are (so absorbed with abstractions and thus) have no practical interests.
A) so absorbed with abstractions and thus
B) absorbed by abstractions and therefore
C) so absorbed in abstractions that they
D) absorbed in so much abstraction that they
E) too abstract, and so they
***I got C), the right answer, but can anyone go through every choice and explain why it is wrong/right?</li>
</ol>
<p>9) I think they’re going for causality here, which E indicates.
10) C is simplest. You want the simplest form that expresses the sequence of events correctly. The main clause already has “moved” in it, so you don’t need to repeat “moving” as D does. A and D would both have the dreaded “comma splice.” It should be clear that E is wrong.
20) You use “necessary” here because you have “not only present but also necessary.” “Of necessity” would not be parallel here. It could be used elsewhere.
28) “Its” is wrong because the antecedent is tablets (plural), so it’s a question of their potency. The “its” should have been replaced by “their.”</p>
<p>11) Several things are going on at once in this question.
First, check the relation between the two clauses. If you are going to use “so” in the first clause, the second clause should be its result. The correct idiom is: " . . . so blah, blah, blah that . . . " This eliminates A.<br>
Then you have the question of the proper preposition to use with absorbed. Water is absorbed by a paper towel (rather than in it), but people are absorbed in their work (or in abstractions). This eliminates B.
C is right.
D) is an issue of meaning. It is not that the quantity of abstraction is so great in itself (which the location of “so” in D implies), it’s that the mathematicians are so absorbed in it. This means that D is out.
E) The mathematicians aren’t abstract–their work is. So E is also out.</p>
<p>^ok, thanks for the help.</p>