A 2 min read

Margaret Mead, the best-known anthropologist of the twentieth century, helped shape public opinion on fundamentally important areas like attitudes toward children and families, along with the relative merits of competition and cooperation.

A. shape public opinion in such fundamentally important areas like attitudes toward children and families, along with

B. shape public opinion in such fundamentally important areas as attitudes toward children and families and

C. to shape public opinion about such fundamentally important areas like attitudes toward children and families, also about

D. the shaping of public opinion for fundamentally important areas such as attitudes toward children and families, and those toward

E. the shaping of public opinion around fundamentally important areas like attitudes toward children and families, and those of

What does this question test?

This question tests your expertise in identifying list in the sentence and connecting the list appropriately.  It also tests your knowledge of the idiomatic usage of “such as” to present examples.

What does this sentence mean?

This sentence presents the contributions of Margaret Mead.  She helped shape public opinion on some fundamentally important areas.  Two examples of such areas are presented:

1. Attitudes towards children and families
2. Relative merits of competition and cooperation

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What are the errors in the original sentence?

This sentence uses incorrect idiom to express examples.  Use of “like” to present examples is not correct.  “Such as” should be used to present examples.

Answer Choice Analysis

Choice A:  Idiom Error

Choice B:  No errors

Choice C:  Idiom Error as in Choice A.  Also, the list of two examples is not connected properly.  “Also about” is not correct way to connect the elements in the list.

Choice D:  Punctuation Error:  Use of comma prior to and is not required.  As identified above in the meaning analysis, there are two elements in the list.  These two elements should be connected using “and”.  Furthermore, the list consists of the elements as shown in the meaning analysis.  By attaching “toward” before the second element in the list, the sentence alters the intended meaning.  The list per this sentence is:  Attitudes towards

• children and families
• relative merits of competition and cooperation

Clearly this list is different from the list identified in the meaning analysis.

Choice E:  Idiom error as in Choice A.  Punctuation and Meaning error as in Choice D.

Thus, Choice B is the correct answer.

What are the key take-away messages?

1. The elements of a list should be connected appropriately.
2. “Such as” should be used to present examples.  “Like” cannot be used to present examples.

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