The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.
A. scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were
B. scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each,
C. scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each that had been
D. scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each
E. scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each had been
In-depth Explanation and Correct Answer Below (so you don’t see it while reviewing the question)
The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon… Explanation
The Anasazi settlements at Chaco Canyon were built on a spectacular scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were connected by a complex regional system of roads.
(A) scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each, were
We don’t need the verb “were”. The last bit is just modifying the rooms. If you take out “with…each” the issue becomes clear.
(B) scale, with more than 75 carefully engineered structures, of up to 600 rooms each,
(C) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms, each that had been
Past perfect is incorrect. The past perfect is the “past of the past”. You use it to put something before something else in the past. Usually it’s paired with the past simple: We arrived at the movies but the film had already started. The movie started before we arrived. This option is implying that the rooms were connected before they were built. That doesn’t make sense. It seems that both things happened in the past at about the same time so both should be past simple. Also, what does “each” refer to? Each ROOMS. Each STRUCTURES. Doesn’t seem to make sense. Even if you could stretch those to make them singular Room/Structure it seems to refer to room. It doesn’t make sense that the rooms are connected. It’s the structures.
(D) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms and with each
Looks like this one is trying to create a list. The list doesn’t make sense. The second half of the sentence is just a string of modifiers describing the spectacular scale.
Also, what does “each” refer to? Each ROOMS. Each STRUCTURES. Doesn’t seem to make sense. Even if you could stretch those to make them singular Room/Structure it seems to refer to room. It doesn’t make sense that the rooms are connected. It’s the structures.
(E) scale of more than 75 carefully engineered structures of up to 600 rooms each had been
Past perfect is incorrect. The past perfect is the “past of the past”. You use it to put something before something else in the past. Usually it’s paired with the past simple: We arrived at the movies but the film had already started. The movie started before we arrived. This option is implying that the rooms were connected before they were built. That doesn’t make sense. It seems that both things happened in the past at about the same time so both should be past simple.
Also, what does “each” refer to? Each ROOMS. Each STRUCTURES. Doesn’t seem to make sense. Even if you could stretch those to make them singular Room/Structure it seems to refer to room. It doesn’t make sense that the rooms are connected. It’s the structures.
Correct Answer: B
For some SC guidance, here’s a link to a breakdown of GMAT sentence correction.