Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of--OG13-Q25

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Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of
knowledge over the past twenty years about the brain
and its development from birth to adulthood, are
now
drawing solid conclusions about how the human brain
grows and how babies acquire language.
(A) Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of
knowledge over the past twenty years about
the brain and its development from birth to
adulthood, are
(B) Neuroscientists, having amassed a wealth of
knowledge about the brain and its development
from birth to adulthood over the past twenty
years, and are
(C) Neuroscientists amassing a wealth of knowledge
about the brain and its development from birth
to adulthood over the past twenty years, and are
(D) Neuroscientists have amassed a wealth of
knowledge over the past twenty years about the
brain and its development from birth to adulthood,
(E) Neuroscientists have amassed, over the past
twenty years, a wealth of knowledge about the
brain and its development from birth to
adulthood,

I need clarity regarding option D and E.

My confusion:clause,VERB-ing

Here its CLAUSE,NOW VERBING..
1.Can we apply the modifier rule here that it modifiers the entire preceding clause.
If yes why and if no why.
2.I was browsing the explanation and I came across modifier touch rule.
How is VERBing modifying adulthood.
This is normally the same way as which --touch rule.

Please help me clarify the above doubts.

Thanks
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by Ali Tariq » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:52 am
My confusion:clause,VERB-ing

Here its CLAUSE,NOW VERBING..
1.Can we apply the modifier rule here that it modifiers the entire preceding clause.
If yes why and if no why
D) Neuroscientists have amassed a wealth of
knowledge over the past twenty years about the
brain and its development from birth to adulthood,
now
drawing
solid conclusions about how the human brain
grows and how babies acquire language.


(E) Neuroscientists have amassed, over the past
twenty years, a wealth of knowledge about the
brain and its development from birth to
adulthood, now drawing solid conclusions about how the human brain
grows and how babies acquire language

1.Can we apply the modifier rule here that it modifiers the entire preceding clause.
clause, verbing
verbing and clause need to be contemporaneous events- not the case here.
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by Ali Tariq » Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:54 am
How is VERBing modifying adulthood.
verbing is not modifying adulthood.
It is modifying the whole clause;i.e verbing is not adjectivial. It, however, is adverbial.
This is normally the same way as which --touch rule.
No.
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by Zeke@GMATPill » Sun Apr 02, 2017 9:15 am
We have a video walkthrough of this question here: https://bit.ly/2oxBQhU

The modifying rule generally breaks down when the phrase is just too far from the subject -- and if there are better answers available.

Neuroscientists have amassed a wealth of knowledge over the past twenty years about the brain and its development from birth to adulthood, now drawing....

Focus on that comma area at the end of the above sentence -- there are just too many words between "now drawing" and the subject "neuroscientists" that it could potentially modify.

But even so: "Now drawing X, neuroscientists have amassed" -- the modifying phrase is present tense, but the main sentence is past tense.

It would be better to say: "Now drawing solid conclusions, neuroscientists are.."

But still, there is a better existing choice in (A). Please see video for thought process.
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