OG 178

178. In the last few years, the number of convicted criminals given community service sentences. which allow the criminals to remain unconfined while they perform specific jobs benefiting the public, have risen dramatically.

(A)              sentences, which allow the criminals to remain unconfined while they perform specific jobs benefiting the public, have

(B)              sentences, performing specific jobs that benefit the public while being allowed to remain unconfined, have

(C)             sentences, performing specific jobs beneficial to the public while they are allowed to remain unconfined, have

(D)             sentences which allow them to remain unconfined in their performing of specific jobs beneficial to the public has

(E)              sentences allowing them to remain unconfined while performing specific jobs that benefit the public has

At issue in this question is subject-verb agreement; the number ... has risen must be the kernel(要点，精髓) of the main clause. Choice E, the best answer, uses a singular verb form, has, to agree with the singular subject, the number. Choices A, B, and C mistake criminals for the sentence subject and so incorrectly use the plural verb form have. In B and C the verb phrases (performing .. . ) do not clearly modify criminals, because another noun (sentences) intrudes, nor do the verb phrases clearly establish temporal relationships among events. D is wordy and imprecise (in their performing of specific jobs).

为什么用allowing不用which allow？我觉得两个一样啊？为什么用E不用D呢？

WHICH有歧义 可能指的是 sentences, 实际上引导ALLOW的是前面整个the number of convicted criminals given community service sentences.

加油呀 楼主

d中的错误如下：which应改为that；in their performing of specific jobs 中的their指代不清，而且与原文意思不符；

XDF原则：分词结构>从句；sentences allowing>sentences that；

动词>形容词>抽象名词, performing  specific jobs>performing of specific jobs,benefit> beneficial to

可是偶理解的，就应该是service sentence引导allow啊！

这句话的意思不是“服务判决，允许罪犯在他们执行有利于社会的特定工作时，保持没有限制的状态”吗？因为我理解的这里which应该是指sentence呀！还是我的翻译不对？

sigh，SC真是让我无话可说啊

ETS并没有指出which不能用，在我看来，从语法的角度来看，which用在这也不错，但是有一点，当修饰的对象是法令或规定什么的，倾向于用分词结构。如果一定要找一个理由的话，我的理解就是法律规定有延时性，比定从好。

至于你所说的D/E区别，ETS已经给出明确的解释：D is wordy and imprecise (in their performing of specific jobs). 关键的错误不在which。

对，我完全同意stone的理解。which在这里并非不可，关键是后面的错了。stone的理解一直很精确，佩服！

一个新问题：
og 说：In B and C the verb phrases (performing... ) do not clearly modify criminals, because another noun (sentences) intrudes, nor do the verb phrases clearly establish temporal relationships among events.

黑体部分我怎么看也不懂，到底哪两个events之间是temporal relationship?
请NN解答！

就是说B和C把perform specific jobs 和 allow to remain unconfined的时间先后关系颠倒了，别扭，因为只能先remain unconfined，才能perform jobs。这是ETS的preference：句子最好按时间先后，和因果顺序写。