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A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave the current nest to find a new home.
  • a)
    few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave
  • b)
    a select few scientists and entomologists, only occurs when  portions of the colony leaves
  • c)
    very few selected scientists and entomologists, occur when  portions of the colony leave
  • d)
    only very few selected scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves
  • e)
    only a select few scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves
Correct answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select sc...
This example has modifier problems because only moves around in the answer choices and because of the select/selected split. Only should emphasize a select few scientists. However, it’s probably easier to work the subject-verb error first. Start with the leave/leaves or occur/occurs split. The subject, swarm, is singular. Eliminate (A) and (C) because occurs is plural. Eliminate (B) because portions does not agree with leaves.
The choice between (D) and (E) comes down to meaning. Selected means a group chosen by someone, while select means a special group. (E) is better at conveying the meaning of a small group of scientists who have been lucky enough to witness the swarm.
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Most Upvoted Answer
A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select sc...
Explanation:

The correct answer is option E: "only a select few scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves."

Analysis:
Let's break down the original sentence to understand the structure and meaning:

"A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave the current nest to find a new home."

Subject-Verb Agreement:
In the original sentence, the subject "swarm" is singular, so the verb "occur" should be in the singular form "occurs" to match the subject.

Corrected Sentence:
"A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by only a select few scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leaves the current nest to find a new home."

Explanation of the Correct Answer:
The corrected sentence maintains subject-verb agreement and uses the appropriate term "only a select few scientists and entomologists" to describe the limited number of people who have witnessed this phenomenon.

Reasoning:
The use of "only" emphasizes the limited number of scientists and entomologists who have observed the phenomenon. "A select few" further emphasizes that only a small group of scientists and entomologists have seen it. This phrasing accurately conveys the exclusivity and rarity of the event and aligns with the original sentence's intended meaning.
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A swarm of desert honeybees, a phenomenon seen by few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leave the current nest to find a new home.a)few of the select scientists and entomologists, occur when a portion of the colony leaveb)a select few scientists and entomologists, only occurs when portions of the colony leavesc)very few selected scientists and entomologists, occur when portions of the colonyleaved)only very few selected scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leavese)only a select few scientists and entomologists, occurs when a portion of the colony leavesCorrect answer is option 'E'. Can you explain this answer?
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