I take the test on Wednesday so these are my last-minute questions. Thanks!

The yield per acre of coffee berries varies enormously in that a single tree, depending on both its size and on climate and altitude, could produce enough berries to make between one and twelve pounds of dried beans a year.

A) Same
B) enormously, in that a single tree, dependent on its size and also on climate and altitude, is able to produce
C) enormously, because a single tree, depending on its size and on climate and altitude, is able to produce
D) enormously, because a single tree, being dependent on its size, climate, and altitude, is capable of producing
E) enormously, because a single tree, dependent both on its size as well as on climate and altitude, could produce

I picked A. Answer is C. Should I know something about "in that" vs "because"? Thanks!

"Because" indicates cause and effect; "in that" generally just indicates some kind of correlation. If it's a cause-effect scenario, go with because.

Oops - also, generally stay in the same tense unless there's a reason to change. This one starts us out with "varies" and doesn't give us a reason to switch to "could produce." "Is" is better.

I also thought A was wrong because "depending on both its size and on climate and altitude" is confusing because there are three items listed here when "both" seems to infer there are two.

you raise a good point, but notice that there really are two parts: (1) size, (2) climate and altitude (here grouped together as a single consideration). there's nothing wrong with this, by the way: there's nothing wrong with 'each candidate will be evaluated both on his talent and on his raw charisma and authenticity', in which talent is treated as one variable and (charisma + authenticity) is treated as the other variable.

but there is a problem in terms of pure parallel structure:
the words after 'both' are its size
the words after 'and' are on climate and altitude
that's not parallel; you can't have a preposition in the second part but not in the first.

also, note that the 'both' issue is avoided altogether in choice c (i think you already noticed this)

Ron,

What are the rules around using the word "Able"?

I was under the impression that only animate objects are "able" to do anything. Therefore, a TREE would not be "able" to do anything.

Can you please clarify?

Thanks!

Hi Ron,

Can we eliminate on the basis dependent vs depending.

Dependent modifies the trees - adjective
Depending - modifies the verb -

Is this reasoning correct ??


please clarify..

Thanks

Hello Ron or Stacey,

Do either of you have any comments regarding the question above about the word "ABLE"?

Thanks for your help.

i hesitate to generalize beyond what's evident in this problem:
this is an official problem, whose official answer allows 'able' to refer to trees. therefore, 'able' is allowed to refer to trees, and, (presumably) by extension, to other inanimate but living things.
whether 'able' can properly refer to inanimate non-living things is an open question; i can't really say until i'm presented with evidence from official problems.

absolutely correct.

Hi Ron,

could you pls explain how we can eliminate on the basis of 'dependent' vs 'depending'?? Thanks!

Hi Ron,

Does "depending on its size and on climate and altitude" modify "is"? or "varies"? or the entire subordinate clause - "a single tree is able to produce..."?

Hi,
C says a single tree is able to produce.
The sentence sounds as if it refers to a particular tree, which is able to produce!

I am sure the author wants to convey any tree can produce.

However all options seem to contain this problem.
So, under the circumstances, C is best. Pls correct me if i am wrong.

as stated above, "dependent" is an adjective, and "depending" is a participle (which introduces an adverbial modifier that modifies the action of the clause, rather than modifying a noun).

the bigger problem here, though, lies in the different meanings of the 2 words. "dependent" refers to reliance on another for some kind of support (as in "my children are dependent on me for their food and shelter"). so not only is that choice sketchy in terms of grammar, but its meaning is also all kinds of wrong: it makes no sense to say that a tree is "dependent" on its size (does its size provide it with food or water? etc)

no.
if the author wanted to refer to a particular tree, then s/he would most likely have used the definite article "the".
in fact, that's the entire point of the word "the".

if i state that a human female can bear at most about twenty children, but a human male can theoretically produce thousands of children, i am clearly not referring to any specific woman or man.