There is an error in the given statement.
"It is unlikely that Einstein and other scientists would have come to their successful conclusions unless they had learned from the recorded knowledge with mathematicians and scientists who preceded them."
From the given set of options choose the pair that identifies the error and gives its correction.
Error Correction
Would Will
From On
With Of
Had Will
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → with, of
Preposition after "knowledge":
- The knowledge that belongs to someone, or that someone produced, is the knowledge of that person.
- This sentence: scientists learned from the recorded knowledge of the mathematicians and scientists who came before them; "knowledge with mathematicians" makes no sense.
- Correct sentence: "... unless they had learned from the recorded knowledge of mathematicians and scientists who preceded them."
Example: We still use the knowledge of ancient astronomers.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: would, will — Incorrect. "It is unlikely that they would have come ..." is correct for an imagined past result; "will have come" does not fit with "had learned".
Option 2: from, on — Incorrect. We learn from a source; "learned on the recorded knowledge" is wrong.
Option 4: had, will — Incorrect. "Unless they had learned" is the correct past perfect for the earlier action; "will learned" is ungrammatical.