Multiple choice general knowledge math & puzzles

The research study is an eye-opener and attempts to acquaint us with the problems of poor nations.

  1. attempted to acquaint

  2. attempts at acquainting

  3. attempt to acquaint

  4. attempting to acquaint

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence has 'is an eye-opener and attempts to acquaint.' The correction changes this to 'attempts at acquainting.' This appears to be a stylistic preference in this test context for using the gerund form after 'attempts' when modified by 'at.' While 'attempts to acquaint' is grammatically standard, some formal writing conventions prefer 'attempts at [gerund],' treating 'attempts' more nominally and the gerund as the object of the preposition 'at.'

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