Coffee prices rose sharply Monday, posting their biggest one-day gain in almost three years, after a weekend cold snap in Brazil raised concern that there could be damage to the world’s largest crop when at a time with supplies already tight.
Meaning Analysis
- Coffee prices rosesharply Monday,
- posting their biggest one-day gain in almost three years,
The sentence starts by saying that the prices of coffee increased tremendously on a particular day. This increase resulted in the biggest single day profit in recent times. Reading further:
- after a weekend cold snap in Brazil raised concern
This portion relates the above increase in prices with a particular event. It says that the increase resulted post a particular concern surfaced, following an unusually cold weekend in Brazil. What’s this concern? Let’s read further to know.
- that there could be damageto the world’s largest crop
- when at a time with supplies already tight.
The final part of the sentence describes the concern mentioned earlier. The concern is that the world’s largest crop = coffee crop in Brazil could be damaged after the weekend cold spell in Brazil. This possibility came about at the time when the supplies of coffee were already limited.
To sum up, the sentence talks about a chain of events. On a particular weekend, an unusually cold weather in Brazil raised a concern that the world’s largest crop, the coffee crop in Brazil, could be damaged at a time when supplies were already limited. This concern led to a significant increase in coffee prices on Monday. This increase resulted in the highest single day profit in recent times.
Error Analysis
Modifier Error
Use of the modifier with supplies is incorrect in this choice because it fails to convey the intended meaning. The sentence wants to convey that the concern surfaced at a time when the supplies were already tight.
But the way this modifier (with supplies) is placed in the sentence, it seems to suggest that the concern surfaced at a particular kind of time – a time that was with limited supplies. This meaning makes no logical sense.
POE
Choice A
Incorrect
This choice has the error pointed out in the error analysis.
Choice B
Incorrect
Idiom Error
Use of the idiom such as is incorrect because such as is used to present examples and from the context of the sentence it is clear that the sentence merely intends to explain a situation and does not intend to present any example.
Choice C
Correct
This indeed is the correct answer choice. The clause …when supplies are already tight clearly conveys the intended meaning that the concern surfaced at a time when supplies are limited.
Choice D
Incorrect
1. Meaning Error
Use of expression concern of the world’s largest crop is erroneous because this expression means that the concern belongs to the world’s largest crop. This is clearly an illogical meaning.
2. Modifier Error
This choice repeats the modifier error present in Choice A.
Choice E
Incorrect
1. Idiom Error
Since the portion following the phrase concern of merely intends to describe the concern further and doesn’t intend to attribute the concern to any specific entity, use of the preposition of is incorrect.
2. Modifier Error
Use of relative pronoun modifier that to refer to time is incorrect. Modifier when is used to modify time.
