Sentence Correction

Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

My take

significantly should be used>>>adverb to modify growing

left with A, B or C

though i see that B has the most succinct and idiomatic expression already cost business

my doubt is about 'which'

'which' modifies immediately placed noun
but here it seems to me that which is preceded by a phrase "the effects of drug and alcohol abuse"

So how is 'which' supposed to modify that

OA : B

My pick is B.

I think "which" in A, B and C is modifying "drug and alcohol abuse".

This way the sentence means that drug and alcohol abuse is costing the business more than $100 billion a year. I think this is the intended meaning.

Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse , which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.


(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of - lacks concision.
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of - effects is the subject
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business - Significant in vs Significantly ...Former is wordy
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business - same as D

hardik.jadeja wrote:My pick is B.

I think "which" in A, B and C is modifying "drug and alcohol abuse".

This way the sentence means that drug and alcohol abuse is costing the business more than $100 billion a year. I think this is the intended meaning.

i think ..........'Which' will modify either the effects of drug and alcohol abuse or just the effects....

see the sentence is the Effects of X and Y, which cost business

its not X and Y, but their effect that cost business.

also If which modifies X and y then it would be plural

ayushiiitm wrote: i think ..........'Which' will modify either the effects of drug and alcohol abuse or just the effects....

see the sentence is the Effects of X and Y, which cost business

its not X and Y, but their effect that cost business.

also If which modifies X and y then it would be plural

I think "which" can modify only nouns. In this sentence, it modifies either "effects" or "drug and alcohol abuse". Either way, only the meaning of the sentence changes.

Just to add, "which" can sometime refer to a noun placed earlier than immediately preceding one (refer this post: https://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/post1472.html#p1472) but I don't think "which" can modify phrases (not 100% sure, comments welcome).

No matter what is the reference of "which", the answer is still B, since rest of the choices have grammatical errors. You should always look for grammatically errors first. The meaning of the sentence comes into picture only when you have more than one grammatically correct sentences.

Hope that helps..

I received a PM requesting my analysis of this SC.

Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business of more than $100 billion a year.

(A) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already are a cost to business
of
(B) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, which already cost business
(C) significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, already with business costs of
(D) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costing business
(E) significant in compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, and already costs business

In A, of more than 100 billion a year seems to modify business, implying a BUSINESS OF MORE THAN 100 BILLION A YEAR.
Not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that the EFFECTS cost more than 100 billion a year.
Eliminate A.

In C, business costs distorts the intended meaning.
The intention here is to discuss the costs not of business but of DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE.
Eliminate C.

In D and E, significant seems to modify workers, implying that WORKERS are significant.
Not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that the USE OF CRACK AND COCAINE...is significantly compounding the effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is B.

OA: Executives and federal officials say that the use of crack and cocaine is growing rapidly among workers, significantly compounding THE EFFECTS of drug and alcohol abuse, WHICH already COST business more than $100 billion a year.

On the GMAT, which + PLURAL VERB serves to refer to the nearest preceding plural noun.
Here, which already cost (plural) serves to refer to the effects (the nearest preceding plural noun).
Conveyed meaning:
THE EFFECTS of drug and alcohol abuse already COST business more than $100 billion a year.

drug and alcohol abuse
Here, drug and alcohol serves as an adjective modifying abuse.
What KIND of abuse?
DRUG AND ALCOHOL abuse.
Put another way:
drug and alcohol abuse = THE ABUSE of drugs and alcohol.
Since drug and alcohol abuse is singular, it cannot serve as the referent for which + PLURAL VERB.

Why isn't A the correct answer?