Sentence Correction

Thanks Stacey. Below is the question. Kindly tell how "growing" in "B" and "C" is modifying the subject of the preceding clause. Why not the entire previous clause ? or is it modifying the entire previous clause.

The 32 species that make up the dolphin family are closely related to whales and in fact include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.

A. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is
B. include the animal known as the killer whale, growing as big as 30 feet long and
C. include the animal known as the killer whale, growing up to 30 feet long and being
D. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow as big as 30 feet long and is
E. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and it is

Thanks
Mohit

Thanks Stacey.

Hi Stacey

How do you explain the "which can grow to be" phrase in A? I found "to be" awkward so totally discarded the answer.

This question is also from GMAT Prep and yes. Answer D, E are actually "includes" instead of "include.

valleeny wrote:Hi Stacey

How do you explain the "which can grow to be" phrase in A? I found "to be" awkward so totally discarded the answer.

This question is also from GMAT Prep and yes. Answer D, E are actually "includes" instead of "include.

which can grow to be" correctly captures information about the WHALE


include the animal known as the killer whale , which can grow to be 30 feet long and is ..

WHICH refers to WHALE

Stacey Koprince wrote:A "comma -ing" setup is an adverbial modifier, not a noun modifier. Generally speaking, a "comma -ing" set up will modify the full meaning of the preceding clause, which includes the subject, the verb, and (if present) the object! So does it make sense that "the 32 species include the killer whale" should be modified by "can grow to be 30 feet long?"

Hi Stacey!

about the above mentioned rule of "comma-ing", does it be strictly followed in GMAT? I just met another 2 SC problems which confused me on this. The answers for the following 2 question both choose the "comma ing" form though that modifier shouldn't modify the whole preceding clause but just a noun.

First One:
The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check's authenticity, which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view the watermark while holding the check to the light.

which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view

which include reminders for watching the endorsement, to compare signatures and view

by including reminders for watching the endorsement, comparing signatures, and viewing

including reminders to watch the endorsement, comparing signatures and viewing

including reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view

Second one:
Many financial experts believe that policy makers at the Federal Reserve, now viewing the economy as balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, are almost certain to leave interest rates unchanged for the foreseeable future.

Reserve, now viewing the economy as balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, are

Reserve, now viewing the economy to be balanced between that of moderate growth and low inflation and are

Reserve who, now viewing the economy as balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, are

Reserve, who now view the economy to be balanced between that of moderate growth and low inflation, will be

Reserve, which now views the economy to be balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, is

Thank you very much!

The 32 species that make up the dolphin family are closely related to whales and in fact include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.

A. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is
B. include the animal known as the killer whale, growing as big as 30 feet long and
C. include the animal known as the killer whale, growing up to 30 feet long and being
D. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow as big as 30 feet long and is
E. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and it is
PLZ EXPLAIN OPTION "A" and "D".
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "grow to be 30 feet long " AND "as big as 30 feet long ".
THANKS

Kajiabeat wrote:

Stacey Koprince wrote:A "comma -ing" setup is an adverbial modifier, not a noun modifier. Generally speaking, a "comma -ing" set up will modify the full meaning of the preceding clause, which includes the subject, the verb, and (if present) the object! So does it make sense that "the 32 species include the killer whale" should be modified by "can grow to be 30 feet long?"

Hi Stacey!

about the above mentioned rule of "comma-ing", does it be strictly followed in GMAT? I just met another 2 SC problems which confused me on this. The answers for the following 2 question both choose the "comma ing" form though that modifier shouldn't modify the whole preceding clause but just a noun.

First One:
The principal feature of the redesigned checks is a series of printed instructions that the company hopes will help merchants confirm a check's authenticity, which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view the watermark while holding the check to the light.

which includes reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view

which include reminders for watching the endorsement, to compare signatures and view

by including reminders for watching the endorsement, comparing signatures, and viewing

including reminders to watch the endorsement, comparing signatures and viewing

including reminders to watch the endorsement, compare signatures, and view

Second one:
Many financial experts believe that policy makers at the Federal Reserve, now viewing the economy as balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, are almost certain to leave interest rates unchanged for the foreseeable future.

Reserve, now viewing the economy as balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, are

Reserve, now viewing the economy to be balanced between that of moderate growth and low inflation and are

Reserve who, now viewing the economy as balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, are

Reserve, who now view the economy to be balanced between that of moderate growth and low inflation, will be

Reserve, which now views the economy to be balanced between moderate growth and low inflation, is

Thank you very much!

For the First one

wHICH INCLUDES ....... is modifying check's authenticity which is wrong.

I won't go with the "by including option" as after check's authenticity there is a comma and in case of by including these comma should not be there

These leaves me with last two options, out of which I will go for the last option based on parallelism.


For Second one

now viewing the economy...... is modifying MANY FINANCIAL EXPERTS BELIEVE....
So option 1 and 2 are gone , leaving us with last 3 out which last option can be striked out as it uses which instead of who. Now between third and fourth
I will go for third option reason
1. Concise
2 (main reason)... in the original sentence "are" means that will do something now ..... while in fourth we are saying they will do something in future... which changes the original sense of the sentence.

Thanks!
-Mani

Hi,Mani,

Thank you for sharing your understanding.
However my question actually doesn't lie in discussing which one is the answer or how to pick out the right one but in why the right answer seems disobeying the rule that Stacey said.

Do you have any idea about that?

btw, OA about this 2 questions are E,A.

goelmohit2002 wrote:Hi All,

Can somebody please help me understand what does "growing" in "B" and "C" modifying ? The OA is "A" and is amongst the best. But can somebody please help me in clearing the doubt of mine ?


The 32 species that make up the dolphin family are closely related to whales and in fact include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is famous for its aggressive hunting pods.

A. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and is
B. include the animal known as the killer whale, growing as big as 30 feet long and
C. include the animal known as the killer whale, growing up to 30 feet long and being
D. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow as big as 30 feet long and is
E. include the animal known as the killer whale, which can grow to be 30 feet long and it is

Thanks
Mohit

Quickest approach:

In B and C, it is unclear exactly what is growing. If we can't tell what a modifier is modifying, we should eliminate the answer choice. Eliminate B and C.

In D, which can grow as big as 30 feet is incorrect. The word as is used to compare actions. The whale is performing an action -- it can grow -- but what action is being performed by the 30 feet? Eliminate D.

The only difference between A and E is that E includes the pronoun it, which is not needed. Eliminate E.

The correct answer is A.

By the way, I respectfully disagree with what has been said about the function of an "comma -ing" modifier at the end of a sentence. An -ing word functions not as an adverb but as an adjective, and an adjective must modify a noun:

John entered the room, carrying a big bag of cookies.

In the sentence above, carrying a big bag of cookies is an adjective modifying the noun John. Since we know who is carrying -- John is carrying -- the sentence is correct.

The problem with growing in B and C above is that we don't know who or what is growing.

It must always be clear what noun is performing the action of an -ing word. If you can't determine who or what is performing the action of an -ing word, eliminate the answer choice.

GMATGuruNY wrote: By the way, I respectfully disagree with what has been said about the function of an "comma -ing" modifier at the end of a sentence. An -ing word functions not as an adverb but as an adjective, and an adjective must modify a noun:

John entered the room, carrying a big bag of cookies.

In the sentence above, carrying is a adjective modifying John. Since we know who is carrying -- John is carrying -- the sentence is correct.

The problem with growing in B and C above is that we don't know who or what is growing.

It must always be clear what noun is performing the action of an -ing word. If you can't determine who or what is performing the action of an -ing word, eliminate the answer choice.

hi,Mitch!

Thank you very much for the explanation.

Well, however, I'm still not very clear about my query. Your pointed out that the "ing"modifier was an adjective which modified a noun. However, I've seen lots of sentences in GMAT SC problems in which the "ing" modifiers do modify the whole preceding clause(or say, it's more reasonable to perceive that they are modifying the whole preceding clauses but not just the Subject or Object). yes, at the same time , the SUBJECT of the preceding clause should be the agent of the -ING action.

For example:In the mid-1970's, birds overcome by pollution routinely fell from the sky above Los Angeles freeways, prompting officials in California to devise a plan to reduce automobile emissions.

In this sentence, it's not the birds but the whole situation of"birds overcome by pollution routinely fell from the sky above Los Angeles freeways," prompt the officials, right?

Also for your example about John, I think it's also reasonable to consider that the "carrying...." is modifying the whole preceding clause ,expressing an action simultaneous with the action in main clause. (and I also agree to see this modifier to directly modify John. Both ways seem OK in this sentence)

However, in the other 2 SC problems I showed above, both-way-understandings can't work out , those ing modifier should definitely not modifying the preceding clause but some exact word.

So, I'm considering that ,as we have seen the ing-modifiers play a role either of an adjective or an adverb, we can't come to the conclusion that "ing modifier" should modify the whole preceding clause,thus we cannot use this as a rule to kick out some choices.

Am I right?

Kajiabeat wrote:

GMATGuruNY wrote: By the way, I respectfully disagree with what has been said about the function of an "comma -ing" modifier at the end of a sentence. An -ing word functions not as an adverb but as an adjective, and an adjective must modify a noun:

John entered the room, carrying a big bag of cookies.

In the sentence above, carrying is a adjective modifying John. Since we know who is carrying -- John is carrying -- the sentence is correct.

The problem with growing in B and C above is that we don't know who or what is growing.

It must always be clear what noun is performing the action of an -ing word. If you can't determine who or what is performing the action of an -ing word, eliminate the answer choice.

hi,Mitch!

Thank you very much for the explanation.

Well, however, I'm still not very clear about my query. Your pointed out that the "ing"modifier was an adjective which modified a noun. However, I've seen lots of sentences in GMAT SC problems in which the "ing" modifiers do modify the whole preceding clause(or say, it's more reasonable to perceive that they are modifying the whole preceding clauses but not just the Subject or Object). yes, at the same time , the SUBJECT of the preceding clause should be the agent of the -ING action.

For example:In the mid-1970's, birds overcome by pollution routinely fell from the sky above Los Angeles freeways, prompting officials in California to devise a plan to reduce automobile emissions.

In this sentence, it's not the birds but the whole situation of"birds overcome by pollution routinely fell from the sky above Los Angeles freeways," prompt the officials, right?

Also for your example about John, I think it's also reasonable to consider that the "carrying...." is modifying the whole preceding clause ,expressing an action simultaneous with the action in main clause. (and I also agree to see this modifier to directly modify John. Both ways seem OK in this sentence)

However, in the other 2 SC problems I showed above, both-way-understandings can't work out , those ing modifier should definitely not modifying the preceding clause but some exact word.

So, I'm considering that ,as we have seen the ing-modifiers play a role either of an adjective or an adverb, we can't come to the conclusion that "ing modifier" should modify the whole preceding clause,thus we cannot use this as a rule to kick out some choices.

Am I right?

I would argue that prompting is an adjective modifying the noun birds; the birds are doing the prompting. How did they do the prompting? By falling from the sky. (To prompt means to incite, to cause an action to happen.)

As far as I know, only an absolute phrase can modify an entire clause:

Mary entered the room, her eyes shining brightly.

The phrase her eyes shining brightly modifies the entire clause Mary entered the room. The phrase tells us in what context Mary entered the room. But within the absolute phrase, the -ing word shining is an adjective modifying the noun eyes: her eyes were shining.

I stand by my previous post: it should be clear who or what is performing the action of an -ing word that is acting as a modifier. If you can't tell what a modifier is modifying, eliminate the answer choice. I've seen quite a few official GMAT SCs, and I can't think of a single correct answer choice in which it's not clear who or what is performing the action of an -ing word that is functioning as a modifier.