Sentence Correction

Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

Source: GMAT Prep Question Pack 1.
OA: A

The OA listed above is incorrect.
The OA is not C but A.

richachampion wrote:Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

In B, they lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

In C, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate C.

D and E: streams changed suddenly, shifting from the meandering shape.
Here, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.

GMATGuruNY wrote:The OA listed above is incorrect.
The OA is not C but A.

richachampion wrote:Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

In B, they lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

In C, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate C.

D and E: streams changed suddenly, shifting from the meandering shape.
Here, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.

Thanks for replying, but my intention for posting was to discuss the uses of shifting here as verb+Ing Modifier.

richachampion wrote:

D and E: streams changed suddenly, shifting from the meandering shape.
Here, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.

Thanks for replying, but my intention for posting was to discuss the uses of shifting here as verb+Ing Modifier.

In D and E, shifting serves to modify the preceding subject and verb -- streams changed -- implying that the streams were SHIFTING at the same time as they CHANGED.
As noted in my post, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

GMATGuruNY wrote:

richachampion wrote:

D and E: streams changed suddenly, shifting from the meandering shape.
Here, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.

Thanks for replying, but my intention for posting was to discuss the uses of shifting here as verb+Ing Modifier.

In D and E, shifting serves to modify the preceding subject and verb -- streams changed -- implying that the streams were SHIFTING at the same time as they CHANGED.
As noted in my post, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

Thanks MR. Hunt,

I have a question over the Idiom FROM X TO Y =

From X to Y, Here X and Y should be parallel.

X = The meandering shape [Noun]
Y = The braided patterns [Noun]

All the options are grammatically parallel here, but the ||'sm in Option A is a preferred version of ||'sm.

If A is preferred over B that doesn't means B is wrong, but A is better than B.

Here is my understanding -

In the Idiom
From X to Y -

Scope of Parallelism is limited to the laundry list i.e. the main items(whether that's a noun, noun phrase, adjective, clause etc. etc.) that are parallel . It doesn't care about the modifier attached to X or Y i.e. parallel structures do not need to have exactly the same kinds of modifiers attached to them(X or Y) as far as X and Y are same grammatically such as both X and Y are nouns or noun phrases then we do not need that the modifier attached to X or Y also needs to be of the same kind.

This is just common sense.
in real life, we don't always (or even usually) put exactly the same amount of description on parallel items.
I have a truck and a bicycle.
I have a rusty, beat-up old red truck, with over 500,000 miles on its original engine, and a bicycle.
(both OK sentences)

In B, they lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

Hi GMATGuruNY ,

Can't they refer to Geologists.

Please explain.

Thanks..

rsarashi wrote:

In B, they lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

Hi GMATGuruNY ,

Can't they refer to Geologists.

Please explain.

Thanks..

B: Streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation.

Here, the modifier in red is an ADVERB serving to modify the preceding clause in blue, expressing HOW streams in the Karoo basin CHANGED.
How did streams in the Karoo basin CHANGE?
They changed FROM THE MEANDERING SHAPE...TO THE BRAIDED PATTERN.
As a result, they (subject pronoun in the modifier in red) seems to refer to streams (the subject of modified clause in blue), conveying that STREAMS find the braided pattern.
This meaning is nonsensical.
Eliminate B.

GMATGuruNY wrote:The OA listed above is incorrect.
The OA is not C but A.

richachampion wrote:Geologists have found that streams in the Karoo basin of South Africa changed suddenly at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago, from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegitated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together.

(A) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

(B) from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern that they find in areas without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(C) from the meandering shape typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(D) shifting from the meandering shape typically found in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern found in areas where it is without deep-rooted vegetation for holding

(E) shifting from the meandering shape that is typical in well-vegetated zones to the braided pattern being found in areas without deep-rooted vegetation to hold

In B, they lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate B.

In C, it lacks a clear referent.
Eliminate C.

D and E: streams changed suddenly, shifting from the meandering shape.
Here, changed and shifting are redundant.
Eliminate D and E.

The correct answer is A.

Dear GMATGuru,

In light of question above, when is the usage of 'for holding' or 'for VERBing' is true? Why is it incorrect in the question above? I know that 'To + Inf.' express intention. But 'for + Verbing' express intention too.

Thanks

GMATGuruNY wrote:

Mo2men wrote:Dear GMATGuru,

In light of question above, when is the usage of 'for holding' or 'for VERBing' is true? Why is it incorrect in the question above? I know that 'To + Inf.' express intention. But 'for + Verbing' express intention too.

Thanks

NOUN + for + VERBing:
In this construction, the VERBing action = the SOLE PURPOSE of the modified noun.

Correct: Company X manufacturers a camera for photographing killer whales.
Conveyed meaning:
The portion in blue = the sole purpose of the camera.
The camera is not suitable for photographing snakes.

Incorrect: Company X manufacturers a camera for photographing the new killer whales that will be on display at the aquarium next week.
Conveyed meaning:
The portion in red = the sole purpose of the camera.
This meaning is nonsensical.
Clearly, the sole purpose of the camera is not photographing the new killer whales that will be on display at the aquarium next week.
The camera must have uses beyond NEXT WEEK.

B, C and E:
deep-rooted vegetation for holding the soil together
Conveyed meaning:
The portion in red = the sole purpose of the vegetation.
Not likely.
Common sense tells us that the vegetation must serve other purposes (producing oxygen through photosynthesis, providing shade, etc.).
Eliminate B, C and E.

An OA with NOUN + for + VERBing:
Astronomers have developed a scale for rating the likelihood that a particular asteroid will collide with earth.
Conveyed meaning:
The portion in blue = the sole purpose of the scale.
This meaning makes sense.

Thanks Mitch. Strong explanation as always.