ShmoopTube

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Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by invertebrates. Some say spiders are timid;

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we figure it's because they have no backbone.

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How would you correct this underlined segment from the passage, if at all?

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that are used

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And here are the potential answers...

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The underlined segment's purpose on Earth is to introduce the phrase that modifies "complex nets of silk."

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We wonder if it's comforting or stifling to have your purpose decided for you.

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Whatever the case, it's up to us to find the answer option that does the best job of helping

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to describe these complex nets.

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Choice (C) is incorrect because it uses the singular verb "is" to help describe the plural noun "nets."

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Singular verbs and plural nouns don't get along in general, so it's best we nix choice

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(C) before anything bad happens.

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(B) is wrong because it drops the past tense verb "were" in the middle of a present tense sentence.

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This would be like taking a person from some ancient decade...like, oh say, the 90's...and

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putting them in modern day.

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We wouldn't want "were" to feel out of place, so we'll take option (B) off the table.

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We've now whittled our choices down to (A) and (D).

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Neither one is grammatically incorrect, but (D) is the best option because it's a wee

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less wordy--well, two words less wordy to be exact.

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OK, excuse us while we go listen to our antique mix tape.

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