writing problem

<p>847 / 19</p>

<p>George Thornton Emmons ( was one ) of a handful of ethnographers who (commited) (their life) (to studying) to Tlingit culture of the Northwest Coast. No error.</p>

<p>i understand that C should be his life, but i see D is pretty awkward too, isn't supposed to be "to study" ?</p>

<p>It is D (to studying) because it should be to study or studying, like you mentioned.
C is not incorrect because the antecedent of "their" is the ethnographers, not Emmons.</p>

<p>I think the to after "to studying" should have been a "the".</p>

<p>C is the answer but it shouldn't be "his life" because "their life" was referring to the plural noun ethnographers.It should be "their lives".</p>

<p>"To studying" is correct.Studying act as as noun and is the subject of commitment.
ethnographers were committed "to studying"</p>

<p>"the studying and to study" are incorrect.</p>

<p>(their life)</p>

<p>And it should be his life, it's subject-pronoun disagreement. It says he was ONE of a handful. So you know it is not plural, and it is referring to him.</p>

<p>There is no subject-pronoun disagreement,if the sentence was </p>

<p>"George Thornton Emmons (was an) ethnographer who (committed) (their life) (to studying) the Tlingit culture of the Northwest Coast." then you would have to change their to his.</p>

<p>Basically the sentence is saying they (ethnographers including George Thornton Emmons) committed "their lives" to studying the Tlingit culture of the Northwest Coast</p>

<p>mercenary, you're right.
I really think these kinds of mistakes screwed me over in the May test.
Didn't even notice the word "life".</p>

<p>yeah , looking back, his life, doesn't make any sense, should be "their lives",but whats the diff between "to study"and "to studying"</p>

<p>It could be "their lives" but it could just as easily be "his life". It makes perfect sense because the subject is Emmons, not ethnographers.</p>

<p>'His life'. Yup, the people above me nailed it :).</p>

<p>Would it be?
Doesn't the modifier following who refer to the ethnographers?</p>

<p>so what is it?? his life or their lives?
@vestige, i think u're right too lol, who is right after ethnographers,so.. idk</p>

<p>Even though most people would get this question right because the error is C regardless if you want to say "his life" or "their lives".</p>

<p>I think not understanding what the subject is in the sentence,is what will come back and haunt you.</p>

<p>Because it is clearly that some of you don't even understand the sentence construction.</p>

<p>Ren the SAT'er don't let them confuse you, it is "their lives not his life"</p>