The Official SAT Question of the Day™

Part of the following sentence is italics; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

Many of the instruments used in early operations of the United States Army Signal Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph.

(A) Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph
(B) Corps, there were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly the heliograph
(C) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, was an adaptation of equipment used by the Plains Indians
(D) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians
(E) Corps being adaptations, the heliograph in particular, of those used by Plains Indians

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:
Correcting the error in this sentence requires moving the information about the heliograph closer to "instruments," which is the material it relates to. Only choice D accomplishes this without introducing an error in subject-verb agreement (as in C) or producing a sentence fragment (as in E). The correct sentence reads: Many of the instruments used in early operations of the United States Army Signal Corps, and in particular the heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians.

(A) Corps were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly that of the heliograph
(B) Corps, there were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians, particularly the heliograph
(C) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, was an adaptation of equipment used by the Plains Indians
(D) Corps, and in particular the heliograph, were adaptations of equipment used by the Plains Indians
(E) Corps being adaptations, the heliograph in particular, of those used by Plains Indians