.should’nt it be had reduced as reduction ocurred after blocking shad from migrating up their spwaning streams.
Around 1900, fishermen in the Chesapeake Bay area landed more than seventeen million pounds of shad in a single year, but by 1920, overfishing and the proliferation of milldams and culverts that have blocked shad migrations up their spawning streams had reduced landings to less than four million pounds.
(A) that have blocked shad migrations up their spawning streams had reduced landings to less
(B) that blocked shad from migrating up their spawning streams had reduced landings to less
C) that blocked shad from migrating up their spawning streams reduced landings to a lower amount
(D) having blocked shad from migrating up their spawning streams reduced landings to less
(E) having blocked shad migrations up their spawning streams had reduced landings to an amount lower .
OA: B.Got D as the answer.
Hi Vihar,
According to the meaning and construction of the sentence, “landed more than seventeen million pounds of shad in a single year” happened before the events of 1920 happened. Therefore, this isn’t part of the timeline.
Next, there is a cause and effect relationship.
Cause- overfishing and the proliferation of milldams and culverts have blocked shad migrations up their spawning streams
Effect – reduced landings to less than four million pounds
Hence the usage of past perfect tense is correct to indicate a cause effect relationship.
Option B is the right answer because it correctly uses the past perfect tense and brings out the intended meaning of the sentence.
In options D and E, “having” (verb-ing modifier) wrongly modifies “the milldams and culverts”
Hope this helps!
