I think the slight dissonance of A comes from the fact that "to be" generally appears in a different kind of construction than is intended here.
"We picked Sally to be our leader." "We decided Sally is our leader. " (Assuming, in the second, that Sally became our leader without being elected or appointed.) The act of agreeing can go either way. Think of the ambiguity of "We agree Sally is our leader." It could be the result of a vote or an observation. The scientists don't want burning of fossil fuels to affect climate change. They simply agree that it is happening on the basis of their reading of the evidence.
Does anyone other than me think this is a goofy test? We are talking about these choices in ways that are not routinely nurtured in anyone's education these days. If you expect someone to pick the right answer "intuitively," isn't that really a test of whether they have been associating with the right kind of people? I think it's unconscionable to test students on something they have never been taught when those tests are used as gates to opportunity.
I can understand testing reading comprehension on the basis of reading passages a student is likely to encounter. I can also understand the value of looking at a writing sample. If knowledge about how language works
is important--I certainly think it is--then we should agree on what an educated person should know, teach it systematically, and test accordingly. Why are we so sure that a students' intuitions should match those of the test makers? Is the way we routinely
talk the "right" way or "best" way or is it simply right or best because it feels right to us?
Good to see a robust discussion on the site. Great to hear from Martha!
I would, too. It seems most idiomatic.
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of MARTHA KOLLN
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 9:33 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GMAT Question
Hi John,
I'd pick C.
Martha
P.S. Nice to hear from you!
On Mon, Feb 26, 2018 03:53 PM, Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
A former student of mine is studying for the GMAT and is struggling with the sentence structure section. She sent me a sample from the practice test. Not only did I miss it, but I disagree with the answer that was given. What is your take?
The World Wildlife Fund has declared that global warming, a phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels,will create havoc among migratory birds by altering the environment in ways harmful to their habitats. A. a phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels, B. a phenomenon most scientists agree that is caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings, C. a phenomenon that most scientists agree is caused by human beings' burning of fossil fuels, D. which most scientists agree on as a phenomenon caused by human beings who burn fossil fuels, E. which most scientists agree to be a phenomenon caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings,
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Martha Kolln
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