Named for the capital of Belgium,

[JbhB682]

CAT 2, Question 1, Sentence Correction

Named for the capital of Belgium, Brussels sprouts, which at its fullest growth scarcely exceeds a large walnut in size, are immature buds shaped like tiny cabbages.


A) its fullest growth scarcely exceeds a large walnut in
B) its fullest growth scarcely exceed a large walnut in
C) their fullest growth scarcely exceeds a large walnut in
D) their fullest growth scarcely exceed a walnut's large
E) their fullest growth scarcely exceed a large walnut in

Question :

E is the right answer but i have a question regarding D.

Why does the red change the meaning specifically

reviewing the original, the comparison is between size of B.Sprout vs a large walnut in size.

Reviewing D, the comparison -- is it not between size of Brussel sprout and size of a walnut that happens to be large ? In this case, the walnut happens to be large --- so why does that mean, it's not the same thing as comparing a large walnut (which the original does)

thank you !

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

This is a confusing one! D compares sprouts with a walnut's large size. This is wrong for a couple of reasons. First we have to watch out for possessive nouns (ending in 's or just '). They're not actually regular nouns, but more like adjectives. Therefore D compares sprouts with size, which is incorrect (more in the SC strategy guide, chapter 6, on this). Secondly, D seems to be saying that a walnut is large, but we know that they are actually quite small.