MaverickK  +  526168 Thu, 12 Jun 08 06:27 AM Hi, Please look at the following sentence.Only one of the 5 options is correct.I can not understand which is correct and why the rest are incorrect.I am able to understand that C is incorrect.Please explain and help. In recent years cattle breeders have increasingly used crossbreeding, in part that their steers should acquire certain characteristics and partly because crossbreeding is said to provide hybrid vigor. (A) in part that their steers should acquire certain characteristics (B) in part for the acquisition of certain characteristics in their steers (C) partly because of their steers acquiring certain characteristics (D) partly because certain characteristics should be acquired by their steers (E) partly to acquire certain characteristics in their steers MaverickK Joined on Wed, Dec 26 2007 Junior Member 61

	Mister Micawber  +  526185 Thu, 12 Jun 08 08:21 AM . The grammar and/or semantics of all except B don't work: (X) Cattle breeders have used crossbreeding (A) that their steers should acquire certain characteristics Cattle breeders have used crossbreeding (B) for the acquisition of certain characteristics (X) Cattle breeders have used crossbreeding (C) because of their steers acquiring certain characteristics (X) Cattle breeders have used crossbreeding (D) because certain characteristics should be acquired by their steers (X) Cattle breeders have used crossbreeding (E)  to acquire certain characteristics in their steers Mister Micawber Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004 Yokohama Veteran Member 30,807 'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.' Grammar

	MaverickK  +  526198 Thu, 12 Jun 08 08:43 AM Thanks for your reply Mister Micawber. But I am still confused. I dont feel there is much difference between B and E. Option B is "for the acquisition of sth" which is the gerund form. Option E is "to acquire sth" which is the infinitive form. They are just 2 different ways of saying the same thing.Please correct me where I am wrong.I can not understand what is wrong with option D either. Please explain. MaverickK Difference Between, Gerunds

	Mister Micawber  +  526206 Thu, 12 Jun 08 09:15 AM . For the accquisition of does not point to cattle breeders as subject, but to acquire does.  Should posits a responsibility or rightness which is inappropriate. Mister Micawber

	MaverickK  +  526228 Thu, 12 Jun 08 10:26 AM I have still not understood.There is only one subject in the sentence "Cattle breeders have used cross breeding .. " and that is "Cattle breeders". So there is no confusion about what is the subject. MaverickK

	Mister Micawber  +  526250 Thu, 12 Jun 08 10:54 AM . The cattle breeders do not acquire the characteristics; the cows do. Mister Micawber

	MaverickK  +  526276 Thu, 12 Jun 08 12:15 PM Now I understood your point and agree that B is the correct option. But the correct option is E ( mentioned at the place from where I saw this sentence). So I am confused again. Any other opinions/ideas ? MaverickK

	Mister Micawber  +  526290 Thu, 12 Jun 08 01:04 PM . I'll stick with B. Mister Micawber