Since the last explore voyages into space, we have increased our knowledge about the planet Jupiter.
Why is explore incorrect? Could you please explain it?
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3I'm assuming you're getting these from some sort of practice exam. If so, you might want to explain that in your question (that would help explain why you're suggesting these four words, as opposed to, say, "a. last b. explore c. knowledge d. Jupiter"). You might also want to elaborate on why you are confused. You're welcome to ask for assistance here, but, on the Stack Exchange network, it's generally assumed that those asking questions will put forth a good-faith effort to solve the problem themselves, and, if unable to do so, at least clarify where the confusion is. – J.R.♦ Mar 11 '13 at 14:36
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It's wrong because explore is a verb, but it has to be an adjective in this sentence:
Since the last exploratory voyages into space, we have increased our knowledge about the planet Jupiter.
That's the grammatically correct sentence.
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1At first I thought maybe it was just me, but according to Google Books, we prefer our knowledge of Jupiter over our knowledge about Jupiter by 1450 to 5. I doubt anyone would expect a learner to pick up on that distinction, so if OP got this from an "exam" context, I don't think much of the people who set the question. – FumbleFingers Mar 11 '13 at 15:59
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@Fumble: Of versus about is merely a style choice, though. Test makers are always making mistakes. Even the pros make howlers. – user264 Mar 11 '13 at 16:06
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You might as well say most grammar is merely a matter of style until the less-favoured variants become so irritating we say they're no longer acceptable. I would certainly expect setters to be aware of such marked preferences, and avoid really uncommon variants. – FumbleFingers Mar 11 '13 at 16:20
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@Fumble: I checked COCA and the ratio there is only 5 to 1 (12685:2323), so in AmE, it of isn't such a pronounced preference. Now, this tells you and I (and there's a perfect example of preference & style determining what's good grammar, according to the CGEL, despite my belief that it's a solecism) that there's no big deal here. Testers are biased too. – user264 Mar 11 '13 at 23:11
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1@Fumble: Sorry about my misunderstanding. Just goes to prove that readers cannot read one's mind, though, so it was a useful toe-stubbing. – user264 Mar 12 '13 at 0:01
