Sentence Correction

120. The World Wildlife Fund has declared that global
warming(, a phenomenon most scientists agree to be
caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels,) will
create havoc among migratory birds by altering the
environment in ways harmful to their habitats.


(A) a phenomenon most scientists agree to be
caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels,
(B) a phenomenon most scientists agree that is
caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings,
(C) a phenomenon that most scientists agree is
caused by human beings' burning of fossil fuels,
(D) which most scientists agree on as a phenomenon
caused by human beings who burn fossil fuels,
(E) which most scientists agree to be a
phenomenon caused by fossil fuels burned by
human beings,


My answer is D but OA is C .My reasons-

a)caused by humans beings in burning fossil fuels is not correct
b)caused by burned by is wordier and repetative.
c)human being's burning of fossil fuel is odd construction to me.
e)same as b

d seems to be correct to me.Please let me know the answer and the technique.What is to be done to avoid this mistake in future?

The world wildlife fund has declared that global warming, a phenomenon most scientsts agree to be caused by human begings in burning fossil fuels, will create havoc among migratory birds by altering the enviroment in ways harmful to their habitats.

a) A phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels,
b) a phenomenon most scientists agree that is caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings,
c) a phenomenon that most scientists agree is caused by human beings' burning of fossil fuels
d) which most scientists agree on as a phenomenon caused by human beings who burn fossil fuels,
e) which most scientsts agree to be a phenomenon caused by fossil fuels burned by human beings

I picked B. Can someone help with the explaination ?

In A, in burning fossil fuels seems to modify human beings, implying that these human beings are coming to a most unfortunate end. Eliminate A.

The intended meaning of the sentence is that global warming is caused by the BURNING of fossil fuels -- not by the fossil fuels themselves (in B and E). Eliminate B and E.

In D, agree on as is not idiomatic. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is C.

src_saurav wrote: c)human being's burning of fossil fuel is odd construction to me.

Oddness is not sufficient reason to deem an answer choice incorrect.
If you can't identify a clear error, do not not eliminate the answer choice.

FIrst let me tell you what I first understand.

1. The phenomenon caused by the burning of fossil fuel (which is caused by human beings)
where the phenomenon has to contain information of fossil fuel and human being
Human beings => burning of fossil fuel => phenomenon (which in this case is the global warming which the appositive is trying to explain the global warming earlier in the sentence)

now what I DO NOT understand at all is the answer A in which you describe human beings are coming to an unfortunate end.

what exactly do you mean by this? (A phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels, )
to quote you (I have added your comment here "In A, in burning fossil fuels seems to modify human beings, implying that these human beings are coming to a most unfortunate end. Eliminate A. ")

now i understand that the answer needs to be C because it convinces the meaning that this global warming phenomenon is caused by the burning of fossil fuels from human being

but I do not understand why you said burning fossil fuels modify human beings. I know that prepositional phrase when placed next to a noun modify a noun. why does this part of the sentence does not make any sense "caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels" could you give me another example that introduces the use of "in" that can confuse many people?

Here is the work analysis of the modifier below


A phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels

phenomenon here is an object of the subject scientists which scientists agree on

it caused by human beings

is this the intentional sentence structure when written like this considering ignoring the most scientists agree part

A phenomenon to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels

akulvanit wrote:FIrst let me tell you what I first understand.

1. The phenomenon caused by the burning of fossil fuel (which is caused by human beings)
where the phenomenon has to contain information of fossil fuel and human being
Human beings => burning of fossil fuel => phenomenon (which in this case is the global warming which the appositive is trying to explain the global warming earlier in the sentence)

now what I DO NOT understand at all is the answer A in which you describe human beings are coming to an unfortunate end.

what exactly do you mean by this? (A phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels, )
to quote you (I have added your comment here "In A, in burning fossil fuels seems to modify human beings, implying that these human beings are coming to a most unfortunate end. Eliminate A. ")

now i understand that the answer needs to be C because it convinces the meaning that this global warming phenomenon is caused by the burning of fossil fuels from human being

but I do not understand why you said burning fossil fuels modify human beings. I know that prepositional phrase when placed next to a noun modify a noun. why does this part of the sentence does not make any sense "caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels" could you give me another example that introduces the use of "in" that can confuse many people?

A: human beings in burning fossil fuels
Here, burning seems to be an ADJECTIVE serving to modify fossil fuels.
Question: What KIND of fossil fuels?
Answer: BURNING fossil fuels.
The entire phrase in red seems to be an adjective serving to modify human beings.
Question: What KIND of human beings?
Answer: human beings IN BURNING FOSSIL FUELS.
Not the intended meaning.

Another example of an ambiguous in-modifier:
Mary drank the milk in the back of the store.
Here, the phrase in red could be an ADJECTIVE serving to modify the milk (indicating that THE MILK was kept in the back of the store) or an ADVERB serving to modify drank (indicating where Mary DRANK).
The sentence should be rephrased to make the intended meaning crystal clear.

Here is the work analysis of the modifier below

A phenomenon most scientists agree to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels

phenomenon here is an object of the subject scientists which scientists agree on

it caused by human beings

is this the intentional sentence structure when written like this considering ignoring the most scientists agree part

A phenomenon to be caused by human beings in burning fossil fuels

SUBJECT + agree + INFINITIVE:
In this construction, the infinitive action is attributed to the preceding SUBJECT.
The members agreed to meet at noon.
Here, the infinitive action in blue is attributed to the members -- the preceding subject -- expressing that THE MEMBERS are TO MEET AT NOON.

A: most scientists agree to be caused by human beings
Here, the infinitive modifier in red seems to refer to most scientists -- the preceding subject -- expressing that MOST SCIENTISTS are TO BE CAUSED HUMAN BEINGS.
This meaning is nonsensical.

It is counterproductive to try to justify an INCORRECT answer choice.
Instead, focusing on understanding why the answer choice is WRONG.

In A, in burning fossil fuels seems to modify human beings, implying that these human beings are coming to a most unfortunate end. Eliminate A.

The intended meaning of the sentence is that global warming is caused by the BURNING of fossil fuels -- not by the fossil fuels themselves (in B and E). Eliminate B and E.

In D, agree on as is not idiomatic. Eliminate D.

The correct answer is C.

Hi GMATGuruNY ,

Can you please explain the uses of POSSESSIVE in OA?

Thanks