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Sentence Correction
Eaten in the Mediterranean countries, northern Europeans viewed the tomato with suspicion, for they assumed it had poisonous properties because of its relationship to deadly nightshade.
(A) northern Europeans viewed the tomato with suspicion, for they
(B) northern Europeans were suspicious of the tomato, and they
(C) the tomato was viewed with suspicion by northern Europeans, who
(D) the tomato was suspicious to northern Europeans, and it was
(E) the tomato was viewed with suspicion by northern Europeans, it being
The error in this question is the use of a misplaced modifier. The construction of the given sentence has the absurd implication That ‘northern Europeans’ were eaten in Mediterranean countries’, whereas what the author obviously means is that the tomato was eaten in Mediterranean countries. So, the underlined portion must start with the phrase ‘the tomato’ and not with ‘northern Europeans’.
So, both (A) and (B) can be eliminated on this consideration.
The phrase in (D) “the tomato was suspicious to northern Europeans” does not make sense, and can be eliminated.
(C) has the phrase “northern Europeans who assumed” and (D) has the phrase “ northern Europeans, it being assumed”.
Of these, the former (C) is much clearer and neater, and must be preferred as the answer.
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