(A) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, is
(B) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, is
(C) the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through the harvest season, is
(D) which farmers use as collateral to borrow against to get through the harvest season, are
(E) the collateral against which farmers borrow to get through the harvest season, are
Solution:
Modifier + Subject-verb agreement
A, B, and C can be eliminated for the use of ‘is’ for ‘values’.
Many would choose D assuming that ‘which’ refers to “farm equipment and land” while “the collateral against which” in E refers to declining values. That’s not correct. “The collateral against which” is a modifier that itself is a noun (in one term, apposite) and will modify the noun closest to it. This makes choices D and E equally good grammatically and now, E is clearly concise and thus, a better choice.
Hence, E is the best choice.
OG Solution:
In choices A, B, and C, the singular verb is does not agree with values, the subject of the sentence. Choices B, C, and D use awkward and wordy expressions. In B and D, the expression use as collateral to borrow against to get through... awkwardly juxtaposes two infinitives and is unnecessarily redundant, since use as collateral and borrow against have the same meaning. Choice C presents the wordy expression the collateral which is borrowed against by farmers to get through..., in which the passive verb creates an awkward and confusing construction. Choice E, the best answer, succinctly and clearly identifies the Declining values as the collateral against which farmers borrow and correctly uses the plural verb are.
Sentence Correction - 1000 Questions with Solution:
