2014-08-06 09:00:06

The modernist writers, most of whom were responding to the horrors of World War I, had a bleaker outlook on life than did the sanguine Victorians, but the great modernist works are not all as dark as T.S. Eliot's.

(A) than did the sanguine Victorians, but the great modernist works are not all as dark as T.S. Eliot's
(B) than were the sanguine Victorians; however, the great modernist works are not all as dark as T.S. Eliot's
(C) than did the sanguine Victorians; and the great modernist work are not all as dark as T.S. Eliot was
(D) than did the sanguine Victorians but the great modernist works are not all as dark as T.S. Eliot was
(E) than the sanguine Victorians, but the great modernist works are not all as dark as T.S. Eliot's modernist works were

The correct answer is A
Explanation: This sentence is correct as written. Each of the other choices produces some form of a comparison error or sentence structure error.

Choice (B) creates a comparison error by comparing the views of life of the modernists to the Victorians themselves. Comparisons can only be made between logical things.

Choice (C) creates a sentence structure error. It uses a semicolon and a coordinating conjunction to link two independent clauses, when either a semicolon alone should be used or a coordinating conjunction with a comma.

Choice (D) creates a sentence structure error by using a coordinating conjunction alone ("but") to link two independent clauses, instead of using both a coordinating conjunction and a comma. Additionally, it makes a comparison between "modernist works" and "T. S. Eliot" as a person. Comparisons cannot be logically made between a work and an artist.

Choice (E) creates a comparison error. It compares the view of life held by modernists to Victorians as a people. That is an illogical comparison.