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Read this sentence: "Both reflexes and instincts helps an organism adapt to its environment and do not have to be learned." Which revision corrects it?
AChange "helps" to "help"
BChange "adapt" to "adapts"
CChange "do" to "does"
DChange "its" to "their"
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Change "helps" to "help"
1. The subject is "reflexes and instincts," two things joined by "and," which makes it plural.
2. A plural subject takes "help," so "helps" is the one word out of place.
3. The later verb phrase "do not have to be learned" already matches a plural subject, which confirms the fix.
4. "Adapt," "do," and "its" are each correct as written, so changing them would create new errors.
_Source: OpenStax Psychology 1e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 6 "Learning", section 6.1 What Is Learning?_
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