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A.Kiran · Thu Nov 19, 2009 4:57 pm

This term "Nested Modifiers", was mentioned in about the 6th paragraph.

http://www.beatthegmat.com/impose-t31205.html#126033

can some one please explain what is meant by Nested Modifiers?

Thanks

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cbenk121 · Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:24 pm

Look at the right answer:

"Among lower-paid workers, union members are less likely than nonunion members to be enrolled in lower-end insurance plans that impose stricter limits on medical services and require doctors to see more patients, spending less time with each. "

Nested modifiers are modifiers that are modifying modifiers. Here "impose stricter limits on medical services and require doctors to see more patients" is modifying "plans". To determine this, ask "What is imposing stricter limits....?" The answer is "the plans are".

Now, at the end of the sentence there's ANOTHER modifier, "spending less time with each". This is modifying "doctors", which is a part of the first modifier. Hence, we have "nested modifiers".

Whenever I saw a present participle (i.e. spending) after a comma, I looked for the nearest noun that its modifying. My explanation gets a little fuzzy here, maybe others can bolster, but "patients" is too close to the modifier, so my guess is "spending less time with each" modifies the next nearest noun, "doctors", which makes logical sense.

In any case, by knowing "that" was required after "plans" (to indicate an essential modifier), and making the two verbs "impose" and "require" parallel and equal to each other in importance, you're lead to answer D anyway. No need to mess with the nested modifier!

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Stacey Koprince · Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:51 am

nice explanation, cbenk.

Every modifier is modifying something, right? That's the point of a modifier. Each modifier can modify either some core part of the sentece or another modifier. If a modifier is modifying another modifier, then you can call that a "nested modifier" (but don't worry too much about terminology - obviously, we don't actually need to know terminology for the test).

The dog with the long tail, which is wagging, belongs to Amy.

Core: the dog belongs to Amy
modifier: with the long tail (modifying "dog")
modifier: which is wagging (modifying "tail")

The first modifier is modifying a part of the core.
The second modifier is modifying another modifier.

The rules are the same, regardless of whether a modifier is modifying the core or another modifier. It's just that, when a modifier is modifying another modifier, the sentence can seem kind of convoluted / complicated - and then we're more likely to get confused. If you go back to the basics (what's the core? what are the modifiers? how do the modifiers connect to the sentence?), then these can be less confusing.

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A.Kiran · Tue Nov 24, 2009 3:42 pm

Thanks Stacey and Cbenk.

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