OG 13 : Q 37

This topic has expert replies
User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 17
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 10:09 am
Thanked: 1 times

OG 13 : Q 37

by sinsofgmat » Thu Apr 10, 2014 9:59 am
Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff, Deborah Sampson, the first woman to draw a soldier’s pension, joined the Continental Army in 1782 at the age of 22, was injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she had become too ill to serve.

A. 22, was injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she had become
B. 22, was injured three times, while being discharged in 1783 because she had become
C. 22, and was injured three times, and discharged in 1783, being
D. 22, injured three times, and was discharged in 1783 because she was
E. 22, having been injured three times and discharged in 1783, being

No problem with the underlined part of the sentence.

My question is on the opening modifier.

Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff

How come a verb-ed modifier parallel to verb-ing modifier.

User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 15539
Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 12:04 pm
Location: New York, NY
Thanked: 13060 times
Followed by:1906 members
GMAT Score:790

by GMATGuruNY » Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:29 am
sinsofgmat wrote: My question is on the opening modifier.

Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff

How come a verb-ed modifier parallel to verb-ing modifier.
Dressed as a man and using the name Robert Shurtleff, Deborah Sampson joined the Continental Army in 1782.
Here, dressed and using both serve as ADJECTIVES modifying Deborah Sampson, the subject of the following clause.
Thus, the two modifiers are parallel.

One modifier is VERBed, while there other is VERBing, in order to convey the intended meaning.
An introductory VERBed modifier implies an action completed BEFORE the main verb.
An introductory VERBing modifier implies an action taking place AT THE SAME TIME as the main verb.
Here:
dressed correctly implies that Deborah Sampson put on the clothes of a man BEFORE she stood in line to join the army.
using correctly implies that Deborah Sampson was using the same Robert Shurtleff WHEN she stood in line to join the army.
If the first modifier were dressing, the implication would be that Deborah Sampson was putting on the clothes of a man WHILE she stood in line to join the army -- not the intended meaning.
Private tutor exclusively for the GMAT and GRE, with over 20 years of experience.
Followed here and elsewhere by over 1900 test-takers.
I have worked with students based in the US, Australia, Taiwan, China, Tajikistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia -- a long list of countries.
My students have been admitted to HBS, CBS, Tuck, Yale, Stern, Fuqua -- a long list of top programs.

As a tutor, I don't simply teach you how I would approach problems.
I unlock the best way for YOU to solve problems.

For more information, please email me (Mitch Hunt) at [email protected].
Student Review #1
Student Review #2
Student Review #3