Question

Yo-yo Ma, whom according to the classical cellists of the world is perhaps the world's best, plays in a versatile style which is ever-changing but which also employs aspects of genres as varied as Baroque, American bluegrass, and modern minimalism.

• A. whom according to the classical cellists of the world is perhaps the world's best, plays in a versatile style which is ever-changing but which also employs
• B. considered perhaps the world's best by classical cellists, plays in a versatile style, which at the same time employs
• C. regarded by the world's best classical cellists as the best cellist of the classical world, plays in an ever-changing style, yet employs
• D. looked on by the classical cellists of the world as perhaps the world's best, who plays in an ever-changing style all his own, which also employs
• E. whom the world of classical cellists looks on as the best, plays in a versatile, ever-changing style while at the same time employing

Hint:

When dealing with who/whom errors, one of the most common and elegant fixes is to change the clause into a participial phrase (e.g., using -ed or -ing verb forms). This often leads to a more concise and sophisticated sentence structure.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests the correct use of pronouns (who vs. whom), sentence structure, and modifier forms. The original sentence has an error in pronoun case and could be phrased more elegantly.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze the error in the original sentence and compare the options.
Original Sentence Error: The pronoun "whom" is used incorrectly. The clause is "who is perhaps the world's best (according to the classical cellists...)." The pronoun serves as the subject of the verb "is." Therefore, the subjective case pronoun "who" is required, not the objective case "whom."
Analysis of Options: \[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(A) This is the original option and is incorrect due to the use of "whom" instead of "who." } \\ \bullet & \text{(B) This option elegantly fixes the error by transforming the entire opening clause into a participial phrase: "Yo-yo Ma, considered perhaps the world's best...". This is a standard and concise way to modify the subject "Yo-yo Ma." The rest of the sentence is also clear and well-formed. It connects the "versatile style" with its characteristic of employing varied genres using a simple relative clause "which... employs." } \\ \bullet & \text{(C) This option also uses a correct participial phrase ("regarded by..."). However, it is more wordy and redundant than (B) with phrases like "best cellist of the classical world." The use of "yet employs" is acceptable but doesn't fit the relationship between the ideas as smoothly as the phrasing in (B). } \\ \bullet & \text{(D) This option uses a passive phrase "looked on by" which is wordy. It also creates a more complex sentence structure by introducing another relative clause ("who plays..."). } \\ \bullet & \text{(E) This option correctly uses "whom" as the object of the phrasal verb "looks on." So, the phrase "whom the world of classical cellists looks on as the best" is grammatically correct. However, the overall structure is more complex and less concise than the participial phrase used in option (B). The phrase "while at the same time employing" is also wordy. } \\ \end{array}\]

Step 3: Final Answer:
Option (B) provides the most effective correction. It resolves the who/whom error by restructuring the modifier into a concise participial phrase ("considered...") that is both grammatically correct and stylistically superior to the other options. It creates the clearest and most elegant sentence.