12. A little under a million years ago, the briny waters of the Baltic Sea began flooding into the cold North Atlantic: geologists are still debating whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm.
(A) whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(B) if the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(C) about whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(D) whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(E) whether the flood was gradual or it created a cataclysm
Solution:
Parallelism + Idiom
A is wrong because the things before and after or are not parallel; i.e. was gradual and created a cataclysm are not parallel.
B is wrong because whether is always better than if.
C uses an extra word about. We never debate about something, we debate over something.
E repeats the mistake in A.
D is the best choice.
Sentence Correction - 1000 Questions with Solution:
(A) whether the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(B) if the flood was gradual or created a cataclysm
(C) about whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(D) whether the flood was gradual or cataclysmic
(E) whether the flood was gradual or it created a cataclysm
Solution:
Parallelism + Idiom
A is wrong because the things before and after or are not parallel; i.e. was gradual and created a cataclysm are not parallel.
B is wrong because whether is always better than if.
C uses an extra word about. We never debate about something, we debate over something.
E repeats the mistake in A.
D is the best choice.
Sentence Correction - 1000 Questions with Solution: